S&S One Ton -1966 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The One Ton –1966 was traditionally built at the Clare Lallow boatyard in Cowes, with mahogany planking over larch frames and a counter stern closed by a small reverse transom anchor. The hull is solid wood rather than cored, and the deck was originally timber. To keep the weight down for racing, the interior was lightly fitted out, mostly in 6mm ply, producing an unfussy and utilitarian space. The boat’s ballast-to-displacement ratio of 44 percent and displacement of 14,110 lb on a 26 ft 7 in waterline speak to a moderately loaded racer-cruiser of the period rather than a featherweight daysailer. Clarionet’s own hull needed little work despite decades of hard racing, which suggests the original construction had reserve anchor.

Rig and Handling

As a masthead sloop of just under 500 sq ft of sail area, the One Ton was quick but demanding. Yachting World noted the “terrible twins” name came not only from the speed they showed but from their frequent broaches on hard runs, a trait the designers themselves acknowledged anchor. The skeg-hung rudder and fin keel gave the boat maneuverability and the ability to stand up to her rig, but the narrow transom and lively stern made downwind control a constant negotiation. Later in life Clarionet was fitted with wheel steering that jammed shortly after the start of the 1979 Fastnet Race, forcing retirement within 55 miles of the Rock — a reminder that the helm system, not the hull, was the weak link on that occasion anchor.

Accommodations

The production interior was never the point. The 6mm ply fit-out kept weight low and gave a plain, functional cabin with the minimum needed for offshore racing. Beam of 9 ft 10 in and a 36 ft 9 in overall length allowed a conventional layout, but the original deck height was modest until Boyer asked Lallows to raise the deck about 4 in amidships just 18 months after building, creating a turtle-back effect and reducing the forward cabin sides to a 2 in wedge, with both forward portholes blocked in anchor. That modification improved headroom at the cost of looks, and was later reversed in restoration.

Refits and Ownership

Clarionet’s history is a master class in the model’s longevity. Boyer sold her in 1971; later owners took her to a 9th of 52 in the first AZAB in 1975 and, under George Playfair from 1977, she carried wheel steering into the 1979 Fastnet. John Breakell’s mid-1980s purchase on the River Orwell brought an extensive refit that replaced the raised deck and returned her to winning form — EAORA overall champion three years running, class winner of the 1987 Fastnet, and RORC points champion five times anchor. She kept winning as a 35-year-old, taking her 2001 Fastnet class, and at Panerai British Classic Week she won in 2013 and was second in 2014 and 2015. Andrew Harvey’s later restoration returned her to original spec: deck lowered with new beams of less camber forward, cabin sides replaced, winch self-tailers swapped for plain bronze tops, the experimental Collars “plank” boom recreated, a new wooden mast stepped, and Classic Cream narrow-panelled mainsail with mitre-cut foresails from Bainbridge anchor. The modern heads gave way to a refurbished Blake, and a transom veneer was painted out as per original.

The Verdict

The S&S One Ton –1966 is a historically significant wooden racer whose speed and structural stamina have been proven across six decades. She rewards an owner who values provenance and race-winning pedigree over interior comfort, and who can maintain a traditional planked hull. The model’s broachy downwind manners and the steering failure on one sister are real caveats, but the essential boat is sound.

Pros