Book Review: The Story of the America's Cup 1851-2000

By Sharael Feist

For a detailed record of the history of the America's Cup, fans should pick up a copy of "The Story of the America's Cup 1851-2000" by Ranulf Rayner.

The coffee table sized 96-page book gives an in-depth look at the America's Cup from start to present day.

The book begins with a look at some of the most influential men in sailing, including America's Cup legends Dennis Conner, Ted Turner, John Bertrand and Sir Peter Blake.

Next comes "The Ladies," which shows how the design of America's Cup yachts has changed over the years.

Following is the history of some America's Cup courses, including ones in New York, Rhode Island and New Zealand.

In 1992, 12-meter yachts were history and the new International America's Cup Class (IACC) yachts were first raced. There is a description about how these two types of yachts differ and what it takes to crew an IACC yacht.

Not only is the text intriguing, but the book is beautifully illustrated, giving a glimpse into the yachts of the time. The painter, Tim Thompson, captures a scene from each race with painstaking detail.

The meat of the book is a historical account of each America's Cup race starting with the first one in 1851 and ending with the most recent one in 2000.

For each race, the author lists the year in which the event took place, who the defender and the challenger were, the stats of the yachts (which yacht club sponsored them, the size of the yacht, who the captain and owner was, etc.), and a blow-by-blow description of each event and the various yachts involved.

Some monumental moments in America's Cup history that are covered in the book include the first America's Cup competition which took place in London, England in 1851 as part of the World's Fair celebrations. "America," sponsored by the New York Yacht Club, beat the "British Fleet" and won the first America's Cup trophy awarded by the Royal Yacht Squadron.

In 1983, Australia broke America's 132-year reign as winners of the America's Cup. John Bertrand, at the helm of "Australia II," defeated Dennis Conner, who skippered "Liberty," in a surprise win. It was also the year that the "winged keel" was first used--this controversial keel probably helped propel "Australia II" to victory.

A judge determined the winner of the 1988 America's Cup. Dennis Conner helmed "Stars & Stripes"--a catamaran that would compete against Michael Fay's "New Zealand". "Stars & Stripes," not surprisingly, won the race, but Fay protested that sailing a catamaran in the America's Cup was illegal. New Zealand was originally awarded the Cup in court, but the decision was overturned by an appeal and the final victor was "Stars & Stripes."

Due to the legal battles in 1988, a new "controversy-free" class of yachts was designed, called International America's Cup Class (IACC). Along with these 75-foot long yachts, came new rules and regulations. In this race, where funds were hard to come by, "America3" beat out "Il Moro di Venezia" in San Diego, California.

Enjoy reading about the history of these beautiful sailing yachts in "The Story of the America's Cup 1851-2000."

About the Author:

I have a Bachelor's degree in Journalism from the University of Hawaii. Combining my interest in alternative sports with my passion for writing, I cover topics such as sailing, canoe paddling, kayaking, snowboarding, rock climbing, and mountain biking for a variety of publications.

I began my journalism career as a staff writer for the University of Hawaii newspaper, Ka Leo O Hawaii, then became a correspondent for Hawaii Paddler magazine. Soon after graduating from college, I moved to San Francisco to pursue a career in the high tech industry. I continued my education, focusing on multimedia, and became a Web producer. I try to combine my journalism experience and Web production skills to create Web sites related to outdoor/adventure sports.

I have written about sports and recreation for Working Woman magazine, Outside Magazine Online, Marin Independent Journal, AmericaTrue.org, BayInsider.com, CitySearch7.com, About.com, the San Francisco Independent, Latitude 38, and the Marina Times.

Having lived in Hawaii for nearly eight years, I am experienced at crewing on racing yachts, catamarans, and sailing canoes. I also competed in outrigger canoe races, and spent many winters in California working in the skiing/snowboarding industry. Sharael currently lives the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband Jeff.

Article courtesy of www.suite101.com.