Motor Boats: Illustrated History Books & Guides

Racing Cars of the Sea / Automobili del Mare : Cantiere Navale San Marco 1953-1975

Between 1954 to 1975, the Milan-based San Marco boatyard wrote some of the most interesting pages in the post-war history of powerboating. San Marco is the only yard that has extensively used Italian car engines for both its racing and production boats, including those of Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Fiat and Abarth.

The yard produced such models as the 600 Del Mare, Giulietta del Mare, Appia; all of them fast and prestigious wooden runabouts of elegant lines and refined details. Like a fashion designer or a famous Italian coachbuilder, for over 20 years Oscar Scarpa, founder of the yard, promoted a tradition of excellence, building with his son Sandro around 600 exclusive boats, each with unique specifications, either technical or aesthetic and beautifully finished.

The San Marco boatyard has also enjoyed a successful racing career, with more than 30 world speed records and hundreds of victories to its credit at the highest competitive level, often with Oscar Scarpa in the driver's seat.

The book is a tribute to the San Marco boatyard's unique contribution to the world of speed boats and cars and reviews its full history. The work is illustrated with a remarkable collection of hundreds of unpublished archival documents and photographs as well as detailed information, such as its extensive production and racing records.

Product details

Chris-Craft Boats - An American Classic

Since 1874, Chris-Craft has built boats of immense beauty that evoke an emotion and passion in all who see them. The varnished mahogany runabouts of yesteryear, and their modern sister-ships of today, all share the same design ethos, gorgeous lines, high quality, and style.
The name alone conjures up images of classic wooden boats, waving flags, and unforgettable memories made on the waves.

Immortalized on the big screen in such movies as On Golden Pond and Mission Impossible, the aura and romance of Chris-Craft shines through in this book featuring more than 200 boats from never-before-published archival images to gorgeous colour photos of collector and new boats as well as plans and ephemera from Chris-Craft s own collection.
A thoroughly researched and informative narrative brings the captivating 140-year story to life. This is the ideal gift for boaters, as well as the perfect book for any owner of a vacation home or lake house or those who aspire toward this American dream.

Product details

Reeds Superyacht Manual (3rd Edition)

"Reeds Superyacht Manual", published in association with Bluewater Training, is the first and the best reference manual for everyone involved with yachts large and small, under sail or power, from deckhands to skippers and owners.

There is extensive coverage for leisure and professional yachtsmen including:
- key information for all required courses at all levels from STCW crew basic training through RYA Yachtmaster Offshore to MCA Officer of the Watch (Yacht)
- comprehensive treatment of: safety, sea survival, first aid, fire fighting, navigation, seamanship, meteorology, marine radio and general ship knowledge
- additional section on marine law including international and flag state requirements
- easy guide to the Collision Regulations as well as their full text

Well illustrated and user-friendly, this is the complete reference for all those involved with private or commercial yachts worldwide.

Product details

The World Water Speed Record - The Fast and the Forgotten

The quest for the Water Speed Record is one of the most dangerous, least forgiving and most unheralded of endeavours. Defined by the fatal crash of Donald Campbell in 1967 on Lake Coniston, it lacks some of the glamour of the land speed record, yet hundreds have made attempts over the years - many with spectacular and sometimes tragic results.

The first official record of 74 mph was set in 1920 in a boat elegantly called Miss America. Fifty-eight years later, the Spirit of Australia skimmed across the surface at over 317 mph, a speed still unsurpassed.
That small 243 mph increase in just under six decades pays little testament to the trials and tribulations endured by the likes of Campbell Snr and Jnr, Segrave, Don and Warby.

Whereas the land speed record has been beaten time and again by surprisingly large margins, the water version has been tougher and more pronounced, only being increased by percentages.

This book captures the burning desire and incredible single-mindedness that is needed to take on the elements and propel a craft across water faster than anyone before ... and for what glory?

Product details

Vintage Outboard Motorboat Racing: An Illustrated History 1927–1959

Rev your engines for this outboard motorboat racing story covering the early years of the sport when water daredevils thrilled spectators across the country. Covers famous drivers like Marshall Eldridge, Fred Jacoby, Paul Wearly, Clint Ferguson, Hilda Mueller, Loretta Turnbull, Dick Neal, Frank Vincent, Bill Tenney, Gar Wood, Jr., and many more.

Race boats built by Jacoby, Neal, De Silva and Century are featured in historic photos, as well as the famous Johnson and Evinrude opposed firing racing engine built in the 1930s, and master mechanics like Walt Blankenstein, Dean Draper and Stan McDonald who kept them running long past their prime.
Take a walk along the shorelines of America's waterways and see what it was like to race small outboard boats during a Golden Age. Illustrated with archival photographs from the Rosenfeld Collection located at Mystic Seaport, along with over 200 historic images from private collections.

Product details

Les plus beaux super yachts du monde

Superyachts represent the pinnacle of luxury, comfort and limitless freedom. Selected materials, refined concepts of space organization, sleek and elegant lines, they offer all this with due respect for water, wind and weather.

This highly illustrated book presents the latest maritime trends with a selection of 40 motor yachts, all launched in the last few years. High-quality images illustrate these boats built using traditional shipyard techniques, as well as the avant-garde visions of famous designers and daring newcomers. The collection ranges from modern eco-yachts to multi-functional sports boats and luxury mega-yachts.
The World's Most Beautiful Yachts is an invitation to discover and explore the maritime dreams and perspectives of the 21st century.

Product details

Rocca, la légende française du motonautisme

Le chantier Rocca a été l'un des fleurons de l'industrie motonautique française entre 1950 et 1980. Près de 100 000 bateaux sont sortis de ses ateliers situés à Vitry-sur-Seine. Ces bateaux ont fait rêver des centaines de milliers de badauds se promenant au gré des foires et des salons nautiques.
Même s'ils n'ont jamais pu concurrencer les fameux Riva, leur performance et leur charme ont fait la joie de tous leurs propriétaires successifs.

This book tells the story of the construction site, but also the story of a family of Italian origin united by the same passion. Enthusiasts will mainly remember the name of Oreste Rocca, a great runner, who will sweep up all the titles and be the darling of the media.
This book is rich in numerous illustrations, photographs and original documents.

Product details

Autoboote - Wie das Automobil zum Motorboot wurde 1865 - 1945

At the beginning of the 20th century, the still young automobile industry opened up another exciting market: transportation on water. Carboats were the front-engined vehicles that quickly became popular from 1900 onwards thanks to spectacular races on the Seine and off Monaco - only to be forgotten just as quickly after the Second World War.

Famous manufacturers were partly responsible for the boom: in Germany, for example, BMW, Daimler, DKW, Ford and Maybach. Carboats also contain engines from Alfa Romeo, Austin, Chrysler, Duesenberg, Fiat, Hispano-Suiza, Isotta-Fraschini, Napier, Packard, Peugeot, Renault and many more.

Carsten Klink and Leif Rohwedder dedicate this lovingly designed book, illustrated exclusively with contemporary and mostly unpublished images, to the creation and heyday of the car boats from 1865 to 1945.

Product details