Book excerpt: In 1903, racing for the America’s Cup was no longer a gentleman’s game – it had become a race entangled with political tension and awesome, dangerous stakes. In this pivotal year, the two great rivals Britain and America raced head to head, with Britain determined to win with their privately funded Shamrock III, and America’s bravado backed up by Reliance. Reliance was a yacht like no other – a work of beauty carrying more sail than any single-masted boat before. Some believed that the boat towering 190 feet above the water was simply too dangerous, but the race called for such staggering risk. Pastore brings life to this strikingly astounding vessel from conception, to construction, to the hair-raising trials at sea. It is simply one of the most exciting sea tales ever told.