The Wizard of Bristol (1848-1938) was an innovative and brilliant designer, sailor, and boatbuilder. Features common on boats today–sail tracks and slides, bulb keels, fin keels, and hollow aluminum masts–were all developed by Herreshoff.
With 70 years of designing large and small sail and power boats, his influence on yacht design is unrivaled. As a designer, helmsman and engineer, he defended the America’s Cup six times: Vigilant, 1893; Defender, 1895; Columbia 1899 and 1901; Reliance, 1903; and Resolute, 1920.
