An Absorbing Interest: The America's Cup wins the White & Mackay/Yachting Journalists Association Media Book Award

5th December 2007:  Bob Fisher has been awarded the White & Mackay/Yachting Journalists Association Media Book Award for his book, An Absorbing Interest: The America's Cup A History 1851 - 2003

The award was announced at The Earls Court Boatshow, London on Friday 30th November 2007. The judge for the book category was the bestselling writer and sailor Clare Francis.

Bob's award winning book charts the history of the world's oldest sporting contest in two volumes, from 1851 in Cowes to 2003 in Auckland. It is carefully researched, using contemporary sources beyond those of the yacht clubs who have challenged for and defended the Cup in the 152 years since the schooner America won the Royal Yacht Squadron’s Challenge Cup, valued at £100, and took it to the New York Yacht Club, where it became an icon of yachting.

The Cup has also been full of incident afloat and this work records the duels for the Cup and those for the Louis Vuitton Cup that is awarded to the successful yacht in the challenger selection series.  Earlier, the defender selection trials were a considerable source of interest, and these are carefully followed until the New Zealanders decided in 2000 not to hold a defender selection, a practice continued in 2003 and by the Swiss in 2007.  It is illustrated throughout with photographs, cartoons, paintings and figures and can rightly claim to be the definitive history.

£200,  2 Volume Set,  Bound in Cloth, ISBN 9780470516126

For further information, please contact Julia Lampam on 01243 770668 or jlampam@wiley.co.uk