Written from the unique perspective of an architect, boat designer, and sailor, this handsome volume pays homage to the undisputed sovereign of the sea - the sailing ship. For four centuries, the golden age of sailing was punctuated by heroic events, great tragedies, romantic adventures and economic fortunes. Master carpenters, shipping conglomerates, and seamen contributed to the glory of the sailing ships, but the true protagonists were the vessels themselves, in all their myriad forms; forms dictated by such practicalities as manoeuvrability, speed, robustness and ever more daring aesthetic features. From antiquity to the present, tracing the evolution of these magnificent vessels through a detailed analysis of the great sailing ships, from the galleons of the 1500s to the clippers of the 19th century to the windjammers of the 20th century, and beyond. Meticulous sketches & diagrams, historical documents, and design plans reveal the techniques of the world's top boat designers throughout time. Hundreds of full colour photographs convey the majesty of these boats, and the superb craftsmanship that has endured over time. Anyone who has ever sailed a boat will thrill to the crisp flap of the sail and the splash of the waves evoked by the photographs in this book.