Setting Sail in America: The Remarkable Story of Herreshoff's S Class Sailboats

Introduction to “Setting Sail in America”

To me, having owned an S-boat for over thirty years, this book is fascinating not only in its approach, but in the detailed passion of the writing. The book delves beyond the wood and varnish, and into the lives of the people at the helm. The early owners of Herreshoff S-boats not only guided their yachts across the bay, but they were major contributors, innovators, and leaders in the course of events in the United States. Then, as now, that is where the real story lies.

The magic of these boats is revealed when you look up from the sandpaper, peek under the boom at the fleet, or out from the regatta podium and realize that the S Class has become an extended part of your family. We share a legacy of caretaking as these elegant ladies move through our lives and on to their next steward.

That the stories of these boats and their owners have finally been discovered, researched, and revealed is important. This book, and the heart it was written with, are a tribute to these great little yachts that are still charging through the waters of Narragansett Bay, Long Island Sound, Buzzards Bay, and many other coves, lakes, and coastlines nearly a century after they first rolled down the launching ways in Bristol.

Enjoy the ride,

Fred Roy

Captain and Steward, Surprise S-5

Commodore, Narragansett Bay Herreshoff S Class