History and Evolution of Sailing Yachts - Hardcover

Giorgetti, Franco

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0785812512 ISBN 13: 9780785812517

Publisher: Book Sales, 2000

Synopsis

In the beginning, man hoisted a scrap of cloth on a pole and discovered it moved his boat. Over the centuries we have progressed a great deal from this first discovery. From the earliest pleasure crafts of the Netherlands, where yachting began as a sport, to the high-tech machines of today, THE HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF SAILING YACHTS presents a finely drawn panorama of yachting history and of the most beautiful objects ever created by the imagination and the hands of man.
Herein is a sweeping survey of spectacular yachts, brought to life in superb engravings, photographs and masterpieces of marine art -- from the earliest yachts based on working boats to the revolution wrought by AMERICA, the first winner of America's Cup; from the skimming dishes of New York Harbor to the plank-on-edge cutters of the Solent.
The great builders and desingers - Steers, Watson, Herreshoff, Stephens, Nicholson, Rhodes, Farr, Frers, Laurent Giles, and many more - as well as the evolution of design and building techniques, are profiled in detail. The lives and achievements of the heroic sailors, the solo advnturers, the racing helmsmen, and the round-the-world voyagers are discussed in detail along with their involvement in the development of the sport.
From the earliest informal races between yachts, as personal wagers among gentlemen, to the grueling, worldwide marathons like the Whitbread, to single-handed challenges of the past few decades, racing has been a preoccupation of most sailors. In THE HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF SAILING YACHTS, the greatest races and their histories are detailed -- the Syndey-Hobart, the Bermuda Race, the Single-Handed Transatlantic, the America's Cup, and the Admiral's Cup. Through storms and calm and dismasting and swamping, adversity has propelled sailors to truly heroic deeds.
For years, yachting was the province of the rich. Today, it has become a sport that attracts millions on all the waters of the planet. In THE HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF SAILING YACHTS, we can follow the development and progress of a sport that has pitted man against the most fearsome elements -- sometimes with disaster, sometimes with jubilant victory. It has never been dull, and it has produced outstanding creations - beautiful yachts and stalwart sailors.

About this title

About the Author:

FRANCO GIORGETTI is an architect and a sailing enthusiast for pleasure and at competition level. He has been actively involved in designing sailing boats since 1968. In more than thrity years of boat design, he has produced cruisers for top European businessmen and racing yachts, including the 12-meter boats "Italia One" and "Italia Two" for the 1987 America's Cup, the most prestigious event in world sailing competition.
Currently he is involved in tracking down and restoring vintage boats. He is a member of the technical committee for the Italian Vintage Sailing Boat Association and in this capacity he organizes and manages the events. He has also contributed to the creation of the Monaco Classic Week for the Monaco Yacht Club, an event that has become one of the most prestigious rendez-vous of the sailing world in the Mediterranean's area.
He has overseen the reconstruction of famous boats of the past, researching technical and historical sources to ensure the accuracy of the equipment and materials. Recently, he has written articles on the 12-meter class and on the "Fife Dynasty" of Scotland, which has had a strong influence on sailboat design over the years.

About this edition

• Publisher: Book Sales
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0785812512
• ISBN 13: 9780785812517
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 304