This is the story of a supremely gifted sailor who became one of the 20th century?s most innovative designers of both sail- and powerboats. Today, the name C. Raymond Hunt remains synonymous with some

This is the story of a supremely gifted sailor who became one of the 20th century?s most innovative designers of both sail- and powerboats. Today, the name C. Raymond Hunt remains synonymous with some of the most popular boats ever created. They include the classic Concordia yawls and sloops, the deep-V powerboat, the original Boston Whaler, the pioneering 1960 Miami-Nassau race-winner Moppie, and the production Bertram 25 and 31 Sportfishermen, among others. Those who sailed with Ray Hunt never forgot his special touch on the helm or his uncanny ability to predict wind behavior. Designers still marvel at his new ideas for sailboats in a variety of competitive classes, and for power-boats. While the original 13-foot Boston Whaler pioneered a new market for versatile, safe, small boats, the deep-V hull revolutionized expectations of speed and seaworthiness. Illustrated with images from the Fortier Collection, the Rosenfeld Collection, Beken of Cowes, the Hart Nautical Museum, and other top sources, A Genius at His Trade not only presents the story of Hunt?s boats but also explores the man himself. This biography of the most versatile yacht designer of the 20th century is long overdue. It?s a book that any lover of boats, whether sail or power, will find fascinating. Stan Grayson is widely known for his books and articles about American yachting and small-craft history, and the automobile and marine engine industries. His work has appeared in Automobile Quarterly, Nautical Quarterly, and WoodenBoat, among other publications. Among his books are Ferrari: The Man, the Machines; Cape Cod Catboats; and The Wianno Senior Story: A Century on Nantucket Sound. Yachting historian, publisher, and antiquarian bookseller Llewellyn Howland III is the author, most recently, of No Ordinary Being: W. Starling Burgess, Inventor, Naval Architect, Poet, Aviation Pioneer, and Master of American Design. Pre-vious books include The New Bedford Yacht Club: A History, and, with coauthor Calvin Siegal, On the Wind: The Marine Photographs of Norman Fortier. Howland is a frequent con-tributor to WoodenBoat.