Pastore indicates in the book's preface that in 1903, Reliance, the largest America's Cup racer ever built, represented the most sophisticated piece of naval and aeronautical engineering in the world. This ship, 143 feet long and carrying 16,160 square feet of sail, was the most powerful lift-driven craft ever produced. The naval architect of the title was Nathanael Herreshoff, who, Pastore writes, "shattered the paradigms of naval architecture, developing the graceful, arching bow and stern overhangs now emblematic of classic yachts." By designing such fast vessels, he attracted the world's most powerful clientele, including the Morgans, Vanderbilts, and Rockefellers, as well as the rapidly expanding U.S. Navy. Pastore recounts the yacht's sea trials, its final preparations, the race itself, and the victory over a vessel owned by Britain's Thomas Lipton, founder of the Lipton tea and grocery empire who had spent a fortune to build his Shamrock III. Readers will know from the start that Reliance will win the race, but they will want to be onboard all the way.