Great Yachts and Their Designers - Jonathan Eastland [1987, PDF]

Great Yachts and Their Designers

Year: 1987
Language: english
Author: Jonathan Eastland
Genre: Reference book
Publisher: Rizzoli
Edition: First
ISBN: 978-0847808281
Format: PDF & EPUB
Quality: Scanned pages
Pages count: 256
Description: Beauty and speed: in the design of great yachts, they are often one and the same. The element through
which yachts move—water—dictates much of yacht design. Water abhors ugliness and embraces smooth,
undistorted lines. Thus, the history of yacht design is a study in evolution, generations of designers
modelling and remodelling the lines of yachts. Great Yachts and Their Designers recounts the
story of this evolution, following the changing forms of yachts from the 1890s to today, telling the story
of designers, the boats they created, and the great races that made them famous. The story includes
both the most famous yachts—from Britannia to Stars & Stripes—and the yachts that, although not great
race winners, stand as milestones in the history of yacht design. The text investigates and explains the
design elemenits that made the boats important
—
from winged keels and bulbous bows to bananalike hulls and new sail materials—and recounts some of
the races in which certain boats made history for their crews and designers—from the America's Cup,
Fastnet Race, and Admiral's Cup to the round-the world races and level-rating championships. At the
heart of the story, however, are the designers—who they were and are, what inspired them, what they set
out to do, and how they accomplished their goals. Great Yachts and Their Designers weaves together
the strands of yacht design to create a historical framework that provides cross-references between
cruising and racing. Three main periods are covered: 1890 to 1939; 1956 to 1973; and 1974 to today.
Each of these periods saw significant developments in the field of yacht racing as well as marked and
almost continual development in the field of cruising design.
Each chapter is prolifically illustrated with photographs and historical material culled from the
world's major marine collections together with specially commissioned photographs. Some of the
world's greatest yacht designers have loaned builders' plans, including material previously
unpublished in book form.
Among the designers and yachts covered are G. L. Watson: Britannia; Charles E. Nicholson:
Endeavour; Edward and Starling Burgess: Puritan, Ranger; Olin Stephens: Dorade, Intrepid; John G.
Alden: the Malabars, Minots Light; Colin Archer: a legacy for the cruising yachtsman; Captain John
lllingworth: Myth of Malham; Dick Carter: Red Rooster, Vendredi Treize; Paul Erling Johnson:
Venus, Moon; George Steers: America; Nat Herreshoff: Gloriana, Reliance, Vigilant; Francis
Herreshoff: Whirlwind; Brn Lexcen: Australia II; Alan Payne: Gretel; Uffa Fc a British legend;
Gary Mull; and many other notable contemporary designers.
Also discussed are the skippers and promoters, authors and boat owners, who are part of yachting
history, men like Alan Bond and Dennis Conner. Great Yachts and Their Designers follows the
important trends in yacht design, including the relationship between racing design and cruising
design; American versus British designs—a rivalry played out on the America's Cup stage for many
years that has had a dramatic effect on the history of yacht design; scientific technology versus
inspiration—both have played essential roles in forming the structure and history of yacht design.
In addition to being a beautiful tribute to the style and elegance of yachts, Great Yachts and Their
Designers is a necessary reference work for anyone interested in the world of yachts.
Additional info: PDF & EPUB