Classic Sailing Yachts

Description

Of all the hundreds of types of pleasure craft, large and small, that you can see on any given day in any given body of water, you may rest assured that the one that will draw your eye will invariably be a classic sailing yacht. And this is the case not only with sailors, who can be presumed to recognize a yacht's pedigree; the rankest landlubber almost always reacts the same way, in the universal spontaneous appreciation of beauty that we all feel when confronted with it. This book, then, is dedicated to a celebration of that beauty, that indescribable quality that makes a sailing yacht a "classic" in the truest sense of the word. We will begin by defining, or attempting to define, just exactly what a classic yacht is. We will review and discuss some of the typical factors we should consider: design, materials, vintage, size, and builder. Also discuss how different countries - and different builders within one country - developed individual solutions to common problems, as well as investigating the events and trends that led to those problems. This attempt at defining the meaning of "classic" will lead to the inescapable conclusion that, when applied to yachts, the word encompasses a remarkably broad range of parameters. A 50-meter steel gaff schooner is no more a classic than a perfectly proportioned small one-design such as a Herreshoff 12-1/2. In between those two extremes there is a world of beautifully crafted sailing yachts that truly illustrate our argument. The main body of the book will be devoted to classic sailing yachts, chosen to represent various aspects of the genre in its most interesting, most challenging, and certainly most beautiful manifestations. Each chapter will be dedicated to a specific boat, providing an in-depth analysis of her background, design, construction, and sailing characteristics. Also included in each chapter will be several other similar yachts, in order to provide a contextual frame of reference. Clearly, no book of this type can exist without the visual stimulus provided by gorgeous photography, just as no sailing yacht can be fairly described without illustrating why we consider her to be a classic, a timeless nautical work of art. The background descriptions will enhance the reader's enjoyment of the images, providing a more thorough appreciation of the beauty displayed. The book will give the reader a comprehensive understanding of the concept of classic yachts, how to appreciate both looking at them and sailing on them, and ultimately simply provide a basis for enjoying them on a more knowledgeable basis.

JILL BOBROW is currently Editor-At-Large for Yachts International magazine. She is the former Editor-in-Chief of ShowBoats International and was the founding Editor of Boat International USA Magazine and Editor of the Megayachts USA book series. She has had a long career of writing, publishing, and the yachting world. She spent her post university years working on boats, crewing, cooking on charter boats, and living in the West Indies. She wrote her first story for Wooden Boat Magazine in 1974, She worked at Motor Boating and Sailing Magazine in 1978, and then in 1980 started Concepts Publishing with photographer Dana Jinkins. She co-authored more than a dozen books creating high-end yachting-related titles such as Classic Yacht Interiors; The World's Most Extraordinary Yachts; Harbors of Enchantment, a Yachtsmen's Anthology; Spirit of Tradition, Old And New Classic Yachts; St Vincent and the Grenadines; Antigua and Barbuda, and Outrageous Yachts. Several of these books have become classics and collector's items. Over the course of her career, she has cruised on numerous famous yachts in countless locales the world over. She lives in Warren, Vermont with her daughter.