Every summer, as international classic yacht regattas pass through Monaco, Porto Cervo, Cannes, and other harbors, the public imagination is seized by elegant wooden boats, majestic vessels of gleaming brass, honed teak decks, and brightly varnished hulls. Under their expansive canvas sails, the yachts evoke a vanished era when the waves were broken only by the power of the wind.

Vibrantly illustrated in full color, Legendary Yachts offers a definitive exploration of the glorious age of sailing as well as a celebration of the modern enthusiasm for the classic yacht regatta. This handsome book features such renowned yachts as Pen Duick, Shenandoah, Avel, and Creole, admirably captured by exterior and interior photographs. Whether twisting furiously in the heat of a race, coasting serenely on the sea, or docked in a picturesque Mediterranean port, the yachts are displayed with astonishing clarity. The unique charm and personality of each yacht are readily apparent.

With an engaging text that illuminates five different regattas and delves into the histories of over a dozen classic boats, Legendary Yachts recounts the lore and mystique of the regatta. It also details the rather recent phenomenon of restoring these wooden boats, some of which are over a century old! Indeed, yacht restoration is almost as great a passion as sailing. The book describes the care and craftsmanship that go into bringing the boats back to life and uses ninety precise drawings from a variety of perspectives to reveal the structure of each vessel.

A tribute to the past of the wooden yacht as well as its current resurgence, Legendary Yachts will appeal to sailing enthusiasts, sports fans, sea lovers, and anyone with an interest in the world of classic yachts.

Gilles Martin-Raget is a journalist and photographer with a deep passion for sailing. He has competed as a crewman and skipper in some of the greatest international sailing competitions. The author is a contributor to numerous European sailing magazines.

François Chevalier is a naval architect and widely respected journalist.