Temple to the Wind: Nathanael Herreshoff and the Yacht that Transformed the America's Cup - Paperback

by Christopher L. Pastore (Author)

In 1903, racing for the America's Cup was no longer a gentleman's game - it had become a race entangled with political tension and awesome, dangerous stakes. In this pivotal year, the two great rivals Britain and America raced head to head, with Britain determined to win with their privately funded Shamrock III, and America's bravado backed up by Reliance. Reliance was a yacht like no other - a work of beauty carrying more sail than any single-masted boat before. Some believed that the boat towering 190 feet above the water was simply too dangerous, but the race called for such staggering risk.

Pastore brings life to this strikingly astounding vessel from conception, to construction, to the hair-raising trials at sea. It is simply one of the most exciting sea tales ever told.

Back Jacket

By the turn of the twentieth century, racing for the America's Cup was no longer simply a gentleman's game. Fraught with danger and political tension, the contest for the Cup had become a showcase of technological innovation and national grit. In 1903, the fabulously wealthy tea tycoon, Sir Thomas Lipton, gave Britain's most celebrated naval architects carte blanche to produce Shamrock III. In response, the American designer Nathanael G. Herreshoff built Reliance, a defender that was so big and bold--carrying more canvas than any single-masted vessel ever before--that it ushered in a new era of naval architecture and fundamentally shaped the future of the America's Cup. From conception to construction, through hair-raising sea trials to the grand finale of a race like no other, this beautiful and dangerous vessel comes to life in Temple to the Wind, one of the most exciting sailing stories ever told.

Author Biography

Christopher Pastore, a native Rhode Islander, grew up sailing and racing on Narragansett Bay. He holds an MFA in creative writing from New School University and a Ph.D. in American History from the University of New Hampshire.