The sport of yachting first emerged in Holland in the 17th century and subsequently spread to England. By the 19th century it had become international, with the first race in Australian waters and, in 1851, the first challenge for what became the greatest prize in the sport, the America's Cup. This history depicts every aspect of yachting, with specially commissioned illustrations which include art and artefacts connected with the sport - paintings, navigational instruments, yachting equipment, ephemera, trophies - as well as pictures of famous yachts and yachtsmen, and spectacular harbours and events. In an authoritative text, Robin Knox-Johnston recounts the evolution of what is today a highly sophisticated, popular and fiercely competitive sport, including offshore racing, ocean racing, single-handers, multi-hulls and the Olympics. He also chronicles the establishment of yacht clubs, the different types of rigs and hulls, famous races and records, and the growth of cruising.