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

Christopher Pastore

Lyons Press, 2005 - Sports & Recreation - 290 pages

"Reliance was a yacht like no other, built in 1903, at the end of the age of sail. A marvel of her time, "Reliance's topsail yard towered nearly 190 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 single-masted boat before, was simply too dangerous to sail, but the stakes were awesome. By the turn of the century, racing for the America's Cup had become more than a gentleman's game. In 1903 it was an all-or-nothing contest-fraught with political tension-between two great rivals, Britain and America.
Behind "Reliance was a gallery of American greats. There was Nathanael Greene Herreshoff, America's greatest yacht designer, also known as the Wizard of Bristol. And there were the robber barons like J. P. Morgan, James J. Hill, William Rockefeller, and Cornelius Vanderbilt III, who had made America an industrial force to be reckoned with. Such men spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to win the America's Cup, but they weren't willing to bankroll the contest indefinitely and endeavored to build a boat so powerful it would discourage the British for years to come. On the other side of the Atlantic, however, Sir Thomas Lipton, scrappy founder of the Lipton tea and grocery empire, was determined to win and put his personal fortune behind the construction of an equally bold challenger, his "Shamrock III.
From conception to construction, through hair-raising sea trials-including fatalities during the testing of 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 itbroke. It is simply one of the most exciting sea tales ever told.

What people are saying

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

User Review  - Charlie - Goodreads

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.

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

User Review  - Erik - Goodreads

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

About the author

A freelance writer based in Prague, Chris Pastore has contributed articles on sailing or related topics to Boat International, Cruising World, Newport Life, Offshore, Real Simple, and Sailing World, where he worked as associate editor. He also served as editor of American Sailor and Junior Sailor, the official publications of U.S. Sailing, the sport’s national governing body. A native Rhode Islander, he grew up sailing and racing on Narragansett Bay. He holds an MFA in creative writing from New School University, where he currently teaches.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Temple to the Wind: The Story of America's Greatest Naval Architect and His Masterpiece, Reliance
• Author: Christopher Pastore
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Lyons Press, 2005
• ISBN: 1592285570, 9781592285570
• Length: 290 pages
• Subjects: Sports & Recreation / Sailing