This campaign has now ended. Please visit www.sclass.org for updates and to get the book.
Setting Sail In America
Lifelong sailors, Alan and his son Cory have been always been passionate about the sea. In 2005, the duo joined the classic racing circuit by purchasing Firefly, a 1926 S boat, which they campaign together. Alan is currently the Vice Commodore of the Narragansett Bay Herreshoff S Class Association. While Cory's photographic specialty is superyachts and the luxury lifestyle market, traveling the globe on assignment for highly renowned ship builders and dedicated owners, he began his career focusing on wooden boats.
"Captain Nat" Herreshoff, who designed the S Class boat in 1919, is the most famous American yacht designer, with an accomplished history of boat building and innovation. From Bristol, Rhode Island, Herreshoff designed eight consecutive America's Cup defenders, from 1893-1934. The first owners of the S Class boats were also remarkable leaders of industry in the United States, and their stories are as intriguing as the boats are beautiful.
2019 marks the 100th Anniversary of the S Class design. Setting Sail in America is an homage to Class, and takes the reader on a compelling journey through the history of the S boat- a journey that visits milestones in American society, politics, business, and social life. The Herreshoff S Class is the oldest American one-design fleet still racing the original boats, with active fleets in Cape Cod, Long Island Sound, and Narragansett Bay.
About the Book
It is a large format, 14"x11", hard cover, coffee table book, approx. 144 pages, filled with vibrant Cory Silken photographs. The book is written and is in the midst of the copy and image editing process. It is in press with Seapoint Books, an independent publisher in Brooklin, Maine. They specialize in producing small run nautical books, such as The New York Yacht Club: A History, by John Rousmaniere. The book on schedule for delivery during winter, 2019.
We are looking to raise $10,000 toward the editing, design, layout, and printing of the book. Should the book generate a profit, it will be donated to the Herreshoff Marine Museum, a 501c(3) nonprofit organization.
The first 25 copies are a signed, limited Exclusive Edition, with a special case and printing upgrades, available for those supporters looking for a uniquely collectible volume. The next 250 copies are the Bristol Edition, each individually numbered and signed by the Silkens.
About the Authors
Before campaigning Firefly, Alan was an avid cruising sailor and an active competitor at the Yale Corinthian Yacht Club. Alan has been published in Sail Magazine and a number of poetry magazines, as well as editing The Curved Mast, the newsletter of the Narragansett Bay S Class.
Cory Silken is one of the world's preeminent yachting photographers. From his Gallery in Newport, Cory travels the globe on assignment for some of the top superyacht shipyards and regatta sponsors, and accepts private book commissions from many discerning superyacht owners. His poster editions are distributed worldwide through vendors such as art.com and Ikea, and have appeared as set dressings on numerous TV shows and movies. He is honored as the 11th Hour Racing Visual Ambassador, promoting environmental sustainability through yachting. Visit www.CorySilken.com to learn more.
Other Ways You Can Help
Thank you, we appreciate your support! It would also be great if you can please spread the word about this campaign- share it on your social media, with your yacht club and other organizations, and ask your favorite bloggers, vloggers, and news organizations to feature us. We are also currently scheduling book presentation and signing events for 2019 and 2020, so please reach out if your local club/store/museum/regatta/event may be interested.
