A lifelong sailor, Alan Silken has been campaigning Firefly with his son, Cory, since 2005. In the past, Alan first started racing his wooden Comet Class sailboat while in high school as a member of the Narrasketuck Yacht Club on Long Island. In college, Alan was a member of the New York University sailing team, and won the Middle Atlantic Intercollegiate High Point Skipper Trophy in 1969. While attending Yale School of Medicine, Alan was an active competitor at the Yale Corinthian Yacht Club. More recently, Alan along with his wife, Karen, son, Cory, and daughter, Lindsey, cruised the waters of New England from Marblehead, Massachusetts to Long Island Sound aboard their sloop, Illusion. Foreign sailing venues have included the Saronic Gulf of Greece, the Cote d'Azur, Antigua, St. Martin, and the Bahamas. Alan has been published in Sail Magazine, a number of poetry magazines, and two volumes of poetry. As Vice Commodore of the Narragansett Bay Herreshoff S Class, Alan serves to promote classic yachts and publishes The Curved Mast, the newsletter of the Narragansett Bay S Class. This book evolved from a passionate interest in the history of the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, especially the S boats and the remarkable Americans who were the early owners of these extraordinary little yachts.

Cory Silken biography:

Cory Silken is one of the world's preeminent yachting photographers. From his Gallery in Newport, Cory travels the globe on assignment for some of the top superyacht shipyards and regatta sponsors, and accepts private book commissions from many discerning superyacht owners. His poster editions are distributed worldwide through vendors such as art.com and Ikea, and have appeared as set dressings on numerous TV shows and movies. He is honored as the 11th Hour Racing Visual Ambassador, promoting environmental sustainability through yachting. Visit www.CorySilken.com to learn more.