Wood, Wind and Water A Story of the Operal House Cup Race of Nantucket

WOOD, WIND and WATER, A Story of the Opera House Cup Race of Nantucket chronicles the first classic wooden sailboat handicap race in the Northeast United States. This photographic essay consists of 85 photographs by Anne T. Converse with accompanying text by Carolyn M. Ford. Started in 1973 by Gwen Gaillard, owner of the Opera House Restaurant in Nantucket, the race was initiated to give wooden sailboat owners a chance to race their restored yachts at a time when fiberglass ruled the waves. Today the Opera House Cup Race features at least 75 yachts ranging in size from the Nathanael Herreshoff design, Alerion at 26 feet to the 120-foot J Boat Shamrock V. The book includes an introduction, a brief maritime history of Nantucket, a history of the Opera House Cup Race and stories of the yachts and their owners. This provides an animated backdrop for the photographs. The salty and yet glamorous racing event attracts everyone from the swellest of celebrities to the most unassuming, making for a rich and appealing mixture. It represents a reverent and uplifting look at the rugged world of yacht racing, the aesthetics of wooden yacht design and the people who love and care for these unique vessels. This one of a kind book will truly become a collectable well worth savoring for years.Converse, Anne T. is the author of 'Wood, Wind and Water A Story of the Operal House Cup Race of Nantucket', published 2002 under ISBN 9780971403000 and ISBN 0971403007.