In an era before the automobile or airplane, the sleek and graceful racing yachts of 1890s New York were the real hot ticket. Pushing the limits of sailor and machine, they battled it out in hotly contested titles like the newly founded America’s Cup. They flew as much sail as possible, stretching the often experimental boats so far that masts sometimes came crashed down in the process. The expensive sport was a hangout of the upper class and the culture was as lavish on land as on sea. [Read more...]