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The Journal of the American Sailing Association Review

To the Third Power by Paul Larson, Hard coverf, Tilbury House Publishers. Two versions: 6" X 9", 270 pages, $24.95 / 464 pages, 9 1/2" X 13 1/4", $100.

Engineer, scientist, businessman, team leader, multi-millionaire, Kansas born and raised, mid-life boat racer, visionary, interloper into the rarefied world of Cup Racing, laughed at and damned, cursed by some and admired by many. No one had ever tried to come intor a cup race cold, mount a campaign and build boats in 18 months. Bill Koch did just that. Along the way he didn't just stand the game on it's ear; he turned it inside out.

To the enormous surprise of many, he successfully defended the Cup in 1992. Bill Koch's approach to the race was not to hire the best sailors money could buy but to carefully select those who could work totally as a team - none greater than the next. The team won despite a few disappointments that kept things "interesting" for weeks on end.

Author Paul Larson covers the inner world of high stakes egos and six figure compensations, back biting, attempted mutinies, and "rock stars" jockeying for the Pot O'Gold. He exposes the major players' well-woven webs from a fly-on-the-wall perspective.

Larson tells about the secret boats built on the fly with desigh work only a day behind research and building just hours behind that. Theoretical sail cloth technology breakthrough to working sails in six months with the "Cuben Fiber". 40% lighter than the standard aramid (Kevlar), the new material was not only superior cloth but a major psychological edge for the team.

Bill Koch didn't loose sight of the fact that "King of the Hill", Dennis Conner, was not the bad guy. The challengers were. He pushed his crew, boats and developers, well after dusting Stars and Stripes, knowing that the challengers were also pushing the limits of their new boats and crews.

When the last drops of Champagne were off the deck, Bill's analysis of what it takes to put on a campaign was reviewed for his speaking engagements. The numbers are staggering and puzzling. Can you buy an America's Cup? Read the book to find the answer.