Temple to the Wind: The Story of America's Greatest Naval Architect and His Masterpiece, Reliance

by Christopher Pastore

Reliance was a yacht like no other, built in 1903, the peak of the age of sail. A marvel of her time, Reliance’s mast towered 196 feet above the water, with sails stretching 202 feet from the bowsprit to the boom’s end. Many said Reliance , carrying more sail than any boat before or since, was simply too dangerous to sail, but the stakes were The America’s Cup in 1903 was more than a gentleman’s game; it was an all-or-nothing contest between two great rivals, rivals, Britain and America, with all the intensity of the later race into space.

Behind Reliance was a gallery of American greats. There was Nathaniel Herreshoff, perhaps our greatest yacht designer, also known as the Wizard of Bristol. And there were the robber barons who made America, men like J. P. Morgan and John Rockefeller. Such men spent
hundreds of thousands of dollars to win the America’s Cup. On the other side of the Atlantic, Thomas Lipton, scrappy founder of the Lipton tea and grocery empire, put his personal fortune behind the construction of an equally bold challenger, his Shamrock .

From conception to construction, through hair-raising sea trials--two men died in separate incidents testing the yachts--to the grand finale of a race like no other, author Christopher Pastore brings to life this most beautiful and dangerous vessel, as well as the hearts it won and the hearts it broke. It is simply one of the most exciting sea tales ever told.

Genres: History, Sports

290 pages, Hardcover

First published August 28, 2005

Reviews

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up from the library because I wanted to learn more about the early races in the history of the America's Cup (which I certainly did), but I did not expect to discover the story of an engineer who was so good at what he did that it bordered on magic. Also, the dream of every design engineer is to flat out tell the customer their idea is awful. It saddens me to know that the Reliance was dismantled for parts, as I would've liked to have seen her, even in a museum.

[Jeff Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those who love the beauty of sailboats, this is Valhalla. A fascinating story, beautifully written.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book - gives a decent introduction to the AMerica's Cup of the period, a right-sized explanation of the technologies of boat construction & design of the time, and a decent picture of the Wizard of Bristol. I thoroughly enjoyed this book...as a reader AND as a Herreshoff owner.

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for anybody interrested in the history of the America's Cup and fan on Herreshoff's designs

[Hen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable discussion of America's cup competition around the turn of the 18th-19th century, with an emphasis on sailboat technology and racing tactics, and one talented marine architect in particular who designed winning boats for many of the challenges at the time. I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in sailing, and who plans to visit Bristol, Rhode Island, where the architect lived and worked.