History repeated

James Boyd reviews the official America's Cup Jubilee book - yours for just £225.

No one would deny that the America's Cup Jubilee Regatta was the most spectacular sailing event to be staged in the UK in living memory. Seeing the three Js Velsheda, Endeavour and Shamrock powering up and down the Solent was a sight not easily forgotten. Equally stunning was the diverse collection of 12ms from the immaculate classics such as Prada boss Ernesto Bertarelli's Nyala to more modern boats such as Australia II.

The Official Book - America's Cup Jubilee 2001, is undoubtedly an impressive volume befitting thr event - about 1ft square, hard backed and with a separate hard sleeve. It is also the only commemorative book to be officially sanctioned by the organisers, the Royal Yacht Squadron and the America's Cup Jubilee Committee.

Edited by former Classic Boat editor Nic Compton, the book looks in some depth at that first race round the Isle of Wight held in 1851. There is an interesting account from Captain Thomas Lashmar who in his youth was one of the crew on board America, plus an excellent feature by yachting historian Sir Peter Johnston about that historic race.

The book then attempts to capture the regatta itself, focussing on the re-running of the round the island course, clockwise about unlike the Island Sailing Club's annual jaunt. Significant people from America's Cup history taking part in the event are profiled from 94 year old designer Olin Stephens, to skippers such as Dennis Conner, John Bertrand and Russell Coutts and the financiers such as Bill Koch, Alan Bond, Elizabeth Meyer and Britain's own Peter Harrison.

It goes on to take more cursory looks at the 12m racing and that of the latest America's Cup Class boats which locked horns in the eastern Solent. Throughout the book are stunning images from some of the world's top photographers such as Christian Fevrier, Franco Pace and Daniel Forster.

I was rather surprised to find Bear of Britain and Kit Hobday featured as winners of the event, because my recollections of the week were of the spectacle of the awesome boats taking part and the impressive history of the America's Cup's first and foremost while the competition was more of an excuse for the boats to be there..

The book contains many fold out pages and different paper stocks which I found more annoying than enhancing and some of the graphics looked more like they should be depicting the Norman invasion than the world's greatest regatta.

With such an incredible collection of boats all in one place not to mention some of the fascinating characters sailing them, the regatta was always going to be a tough event to cover regardless of the medium. But as a commemorative book The Official Book - America's Cup Jubilee 2001 does the job and for those who took part it will undoubted find a home even with its hefty price tag of £175, (and for those who didn't take part its retail price is £225).

To purchase copy email: sales@acjubileebook.com or click here.