From inventive sail-maker to innovative yacht designer to successful America's Cup skipper, Ted Hood has had a legendary career. Also legendary was his reputation as a man of few words, making him an intriguing presence in the yachting world. Still actively engaged and sailing in his late 70s, Ted Hood here breaks his silence to tell his story in detail, from childhood sailing and boatbuilding to the secrets of Hood sailcloth; from the tactics and sail trim of America's Cup racers to the theory of the wide, shallow "delta form" of Hood yacht designs; from his influential series of sailboats named