Yachts of yesteryear

This beautiful yacht has been at Newport Harbor since 1938. Odyssey was built in 1938 by the Stephens Brothers shipyard in Stockton for the

Steele family of the Newport Harbor Yacht Club.

She has been owned by members of the family ever since.

Odyssey has always been maintained in a race-ready condition. Under the

leadership of the late Dick Steele, she participated in three

transpacific yacht races and many local regattas. Odyssey was first to

finish in the 1956 Newport to Ensenada Race. She represented Newport

Harbor Yacht Club one year in the prestigious Sir Thomas Lipton

Challenge.

Odyssey has been modernized through the years. A new teak deck, a new

diesel engine and modern winches have been installed. However, she has

retained the original spruce wood masts and booms. Most of the other

sailboats built before the war have had their wooden spars replaced with

aluminum masts and booms.

-- John Blaich, Corona del Mar resident, yacht historian and active

sailor.