As a first-ever written history of its kind, The History of Yacht Racing in Minnesota looks back at the historical role four Twin Cities lakes, its boat designers and builders, and yacht clubs and local champion sailors played in helping establish the sport of yacht racing in America, and helped advance the sport to where it is today in Minneapolis/St. Paul, the Midwest and United States. A book written on Minnesota's history of fast racing yacht development in the late 1800s and early 1900s and up to today. It captures the heritage of the innovative dinghy and scow-type boat builders and Minnesota yacht clubs who initiated the birth of the sport of yacht racing locally and nationally. Filled with fascinating details, with boat skipper profiles and sailing fast secrets, the history includes photography of both vintage and today's state-of-the-art inland lake racing yachts. It explores the history-making sailors, the early sailing scene and its impact on

Minnesota and Twin Cities sports and social history, the rich traditions of these lakes' yacht clubs, women in yachting, local sailboat designers/builders, the yachts and regattas, champion adult, collegiate and youth sailors, ice boating, windsurfing, race course formats and race officiating. The history chronologically traces the development of the scow racing design, the scow builders' beginnings and their multi-class racing designs that led to its popular style today, the leading class of racing sailboats on inland lakes. Further, it includes a special section on the life's lessons learned from competitive sailing and full of fun illustrative anecdotes on the sport.

Author Tim Browne, a former adjunct marketing professor at the University of St. Thomas—Opus School of Business (and University of Minnesota BA Degree in Journalism), is a Minneapolis marketing firm business owner (began in 1987) after working with leading U.S. advertising agencies Young & Rubicam Detroit (Chrysler) and Saatchi and Saatchi New York (Toyota) and corporately with WarnerMedia/HBO and Anheuser-Busch InBev. His Minneapolis founded company, Browne+Browne Marketing, has created and managed consumer product advertising, promotions and events for clients such as Polaris, Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Ralston Purina, Indian Motorcycles, Wells Fargo, Inland Lake Yachting Association, National Class A-Scow Association, Yacht Racing Union of the Great Lakes, Miami Yacht Club and others, and his firm's division, Browne+Browne Books, published an international award-winning children's book Quacky Smacky & Tacky in 2020. After being a high school Hall of Fame athlete in football, baseball and basketball, he was Big Ten scholarship athlete at the University of Minnesota (football), Browne joined a racing team on A-Scow and E-Scow Classes racing throughout the Midwest out of the Minnetonka Yacht Club. He also raced yachts competitively on the East Coast and the Bahamas and whose event marketing firm managed corporate sponsorships and publicity for over 30 yacht racing regattas throughout the U.S. In competitive sailing, Browne was a champion race winning in the 1977 TransSuperior Race, the 1977 A-Scow Invitational regatta and multiple-years of Minnetonka Yacht Club Championships. He had a short acting career, as a supporting actor in Neil Simon's Oscar-winning The Heartbreak Kid.

"Tim Browne has written a beautifully detailed narrative of sailing in Minnesota that is a tribute to the creative thinkers, workers and competitive sailors from the state of 10,000 lakes. Every page is filled with fascinating historical details on how ever faster sailing craft were created. The speedy yachts inspired naval architects from all over the world to study the work of the Minnesota boat building community. There is an old adage that the innovations of the America's Cup 'trickle down' through the rest of the sport. But, in the case of the Minnesota sailors, their innovations 'trickled up' to leading America's Cup designers like Nathanael Greene Herreshoff and Clinton Crane. The scow designs of yesteryear have evolved over the decades. Few classes in the world can match the speed or high level of competition of the A Scow and E Scow classes. This book is nicely detailed with historical images. Browne writes in an easy-to-read style." - Gary Jobson, America’s Cup Hall of Fame Inductee

"A wonderful 150-year look at competitive sailing in the Twin Cities and Minnesota that will help preserve the sport's local rich history and allow it to be passed along to future generations." - Joe Fricton, Lake Harriet Yacht Club 2012 & 2021 Commodore & MC Sailor

"A comprehensive look into the amazing historical archives of the Twin Cities and Minnesota sport of yacht racing, its start, past and present, along with ice yachting, windsurfing, snowkiting, youth and high school sailing." - Rob Evans, Minnetonka Yacht Club ILYA, MYC, National & World Champion Sailor

"Ever wonder how the sailboat racing you love came to be? Tim Browne traces its movement across the Atlantic, to New England and the Twin Cities, telling how the boats and sailors arrived here, the yacht clubs they formed, and how they raced on water and ice from the Gilded Age to the present. You may know the outline, but he fills in the fascinating details with stories and pictures you won't forget. Once you start, you won't be able to put it down." - Peter Wattson, Commodore, Minnetonka Yacht Club, 1979-80, C Scow National Champion, 1983-84.

"Minnesota sailing's rich and impactful history is wonderfully detailed by Tim Browne." - Dallas Johnson, WYC Commodore and Fleet Founder

"This untold historical look at Twin Cities and Minnesota yacht racing, is a wonderful summary of the sports origins here and the leadership role local sailors and yacht clubs took in propelling the sports to its popularity today, at both the youth and adult levels." - Gordy Bowers, Champion Sailing Master, U. S. Olympic Sailing Coach & Medalist

"As a scow sailor and racer for over 45 years on area lakes, and the Director of the Lake Calhoun Sailing School for 30 of those years, I heartily recommend Tim Browne's new book, History of Yacht Racing in Minnesota. Browne provides an in depth look at every aspect of our sport that former, present, and new sailors alike will enjoy. From the evolution of the scow sailboat design and production to the organization and growth of the burgeoning yacht club racing culture. A MUST READ." - Larry Salzman, Commodore, Calhoun Yacht Club 1993