More of this Feature • Part 1: Flag, On Shelves, and more • Part 2: Hatteras, Speed Demon, and more
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A Yacht’s Flag Soars High
The U.S. flag that firefighters raised above the rubble of the World Trade Center–the flag that was captured in what has become one of the most famous photos since marines performed the same rite on Iwo Jima in World War II–was pulled from a nearby yacht.

After a grueling and fruitless six-hour search for survivors, firefighter Dan McWilliams from Engine 255 in Brooklyn peered through the dust and spotted Old Glory flying from a yacht docked behind the World Financial Center. According to reports, he made his way to the boat, rolled up the flag around its pole so it wouldn’t touch the ground, and carried it back to the rescue area. He grabbed two fellow firefighters and together they raised the Star and Stripes on a pole anchored in the rubble, about 20 feet off the ground. That’s when Thomas E. Franklin, a photographer for New Jersey’s The Record, snapped the shot that filled front pages on newspapers across the world. "Everybody just needed a shot in the arm," McWilliams later said. "Every pair of eyes that saw that flag got a little brighter."

Neither the yacht nor the yacht’s owner have been identified. But the flag is now flying high over another vessel: the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt. Admiral Robert J. Natter, commander of the Atlantic Fleet, says the flag will serve as a memorial and motivator for all naval forces in the Arabian Sea.

ON SHELVES: Two Centuries of Yacht Building
As a powerboater, it’s alright, even healthy, to peer into the world of sailing from time to time–if only to reaffirm your love of power. From Camper & Nicholsons comes a beautiful new coffee-table book that captures in gorgeous glossy photos and fascinating narratives the 200-year history of one of the world’s best yacht builders. Like Feadship, C&N achieved its world renown by manufacturing the highest-quality vessels time and again. With 300 color photos, 10 special pull-outs, and scores of line drawings and paintings, Two Centuries of Yacht Building is a marvelous volume that will impress even the most avid motorboater.
$75, hardcover. Quiller Press.

January
2-6. The Atlanta Boat Show at the Georgia World Congress Center. (305) 531-8410.
5-13. The 91st New York National Boat Show. (212) 984-7005.
3-6. The San Diego Boat Show. (858) 274-9924.
11-13. The Madison Boat Show in Madison, Wisconsin. (800) 332-3976.
11-13. The Stuart Boat Show in Stuart, Florida. (561) 283-3999.
11-20. The Seattle Boat Show at the Stadium Exhibition Center. (206) 634-0911.
17-20. The Naples Boat Show in Naples, Florida. (941) 261-0882.
23-27. The Philadelphia Boat Show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. (212) 984-7000.
23-27. The Arizona National Boat Show in Phoenix. (801) 485-7399.
23-27. The Chicago Boat Sports, RV & Outdoor Show. (312) 946-6262.
27-28. The 22nd-annual Charleston Boat Show at the North Charleston Convention Center and Coliseum. (843) 343-3160.

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