Making Waves: The Inside Story of Managing and Motivating the First Women's Team to Compete for the America's Cup [Hardcover]

Anna Seaton Huntington (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 28, 1997

An inside look at the race for one of sports oldest trophies.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Making Waves is the story of the first all-woman team to compete in the America's Cup, and its author, Anna Seaton Huntington, writes from the catbird seat: she was a member of this historic crew. The story begins in 1994 when multimillionaire Bill Koch decided to finance and recruit the 28-member squad that would eventually sail against Dennis O'Connor and the other male-dominated crews in the race. For a year and a half, the women trained together under a staff of all-male coaches, and therein lies Huntington's major complaint. In her view, the men's lack of understanding about the differences in how men and women deal with conflict and leadership development ultimately led to their less-than-stellar performance in the preliminary rounds.

Although yacht racing attracts a fairly narrow audience, Making the Waves should appeal to those interested in women's advancement in the world of sports. And even if you don't intend to race your own yacht in the America's Cup, Huntington's behind-the-scenes glimpse of this rarified sport makes for interesting reading.

From Library Journal

Olympic rower Huntington was recruited for the all-women America 3 yachting team to compete for the America's Cup as one of the "grinders," who raise and lower the sales. A Columbia University journalism graduate, she is also eminently qualified to give a crewperson's view of this huge endeavor. Huntington doesn't hide the team's dislike of "Mr. America's Cup," Dennis Conner, nor its management problems, division over "the whole women's thing," and lack of leadership that led to problems on the water. The near-win by their boat, Mighty Mary, drew cheers from many fans but, as expected, derision from some quarters of the old-boy yachting world. Not just another tale of women making inroads on male sports turf, this book entertainingly records a milestone in yachting history. Highly recommended for public libraries.
Kathy Ruffle, Coll. of New Caledonia Lib., Prince George, B.C.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 250 pages
• Publisher: The Summit Publishing Group (January 28, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565301919
• ISBN-13: 978-1565301917
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,344,889 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Any adult woman will love this book, September 16, 2009

By 

Dr. B - See all my reviews

This review is from: Making Waves: The Inside Story of Managing and Motivating the First Women's Team to Compete for the America's Cup (Hardcover)

I read this book, loved it, and then read the other reviews on this site and realized that the other readers have no business commenting on this topic that they in no way can connect with. I haven't navigated the sea, but I am a woman who has navigated the competitive world of a career in medicine and am amazed at this writer's ability to describe the subtle and not so subtle issues that women face with each other and men in competing for anything....America's Cup or any position of leadership. Seaton-Huntington has the amazing ability to describe deep, internal feelings about intense competition that I have been unable to put into words myself. While I read this book I found myself literally shaking my head "yes"! If you are a woman and face any type of competitive challenge in life, you will connect with this author's interesting story and experience.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good Organizational Behavior Lessons, but a boring read..., December 14, 2001

By 

Nathan Crum (Lodi, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Making Waves: The Inside Story of Managing and Motivating the First Women's Team to Compete for the America's Cup (Hardcover)

I've read worse text books than this, but this isn't exactly a page turner either.

It gives a good feeling for the group dynamics and associated politics of a highly traditioned sport (Yachting) being "invaded" by the concept of a women's team that could compete on the mens' level.

"Do they try to keep it 100% female (to make a point), or allow a man or two on the crew and increase their chances of winning?" Suddenly, roles and goals that were not clearly defined at the beginning of this adventure are causing stress and confusion.

Interesting, but not riveting...

5.0 out of 5 stars A compelling read!, October 25, 2011

By 

Adelaide - See all my reviews

This review is from: Making Waves: The Inside Story of Managing and Motivating the First Women's Team to Compete for the America's Cup (Hardcover)

Well-written, fast read and engaging. I grew up by the ocean and like reading about ocean related adventures, particularly sailing. Up until now I had no idea there were no women on the American's Cup until this first All Women's team that Seaton-Huntington participated in and writes about. I enjoyed reading about the training regime and heirarchy of a sailing crew. The dynamics and pitfalls of teamwork are examined closely - cooperation and competition. How men and women differ in their approach to teamwork (more differing than similar). The book followed the world of sailing in a way that it was easy for outsiders to read (didn't feel bogged down in sports terminology). Let's face it - even on the best days - life is very competitive. These women were put in a tough situation and pulled it off with grace and dignity. It's a book I'd buy for my sisters or daughters. Highly recommended!