As dark political clouds gather over  Europe, the NYYC’s railroad barons  control the USA from the squeaky  leather couches of the 44th St clubhouse. Far from the immigrant  slums, the Suffragettes, and the Ludlow  massacres, they wager small fortunes and pit their egos on their favorite distraction: big yacht sail racing. Its absolute pinnacle is the America’s Cup–the oldest trophy in world sport.

For two penniless brothers, it’s the  chance of a lifetime: to get the heck  out of Deer Isle and etch their names  in Cup history. But they’ll have to fight  for places with the rival West Bay crew.  There are old feuds to be settled on and  off the water.

Prevailing Wind is a ruthless exploration  of the vast chasm between rich and  poor in the Progressive Age. It is laced  with breathtaking depictions of classic yacht racing moments, and deep  insights into the hearts and minds of  working sailors and millionaire owners.

About the Author: 

The list of breakthrough innovations in Thomas Dolby’s 35 year career is continuous. As an early MTV icon he blazed a trail for electronic music with his imaginative videos. The same year as his own record reached the top of the pop/dance charts, he co-wrote and produced the first ever platinum-selling rap12”  single Magic’s Wand by Whodini. His synth playing and production have graced the recordings of Foreigner, Def Lepperd, George Clinton and Joni Mitchell, earning five Grammy nominations. He appeared live with Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock, with David Bowie at Live Aid, and with Roger Waters at The Wall in Berlin. And his self-penned She Blinded Me With Science became a Top 5 Billboard hit, going on to become an evergreen geek anthem of the 1980s that still pops up in Grand Theft Auto, The Big Bang Theory and Breaking Bad.

Thomas has created original music for features films produced by George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Ken Russell; he has appeared with The Muppets, and on numerous TV shows from Soul Train to The Late Show.

Sought after as a consultant for tech startups and research companies, Dolby seemed to have a hand in every emerging entertainment platform, from laser disks and computer games to interactive TV, virtual reality installations and location-based entertainment. His name is on multiple US patents, and he has worked as an investment advisor for top venture capital firms. During the early Silicon Valley internet explosion, Thomas founded high tech startup Beatnik Inc and co-created the code that drove interactive audio in Java. When mobile phones began to play polyphonic ringtones, it was via his BAE technology, which Beatnik licensed to phone manufacturers to be embedded in over two billion cellular phones and devices.

Between adding music to the mix as in-house Music Director of every TED Conference from 2001-12, Thomas taught himself to be a digital filmmaker; and in 2013 he won multiple awards for his groundbreaking film The Invisible Lighthouse, which chronicles the closure of a 250 year old lighthouse visible from his coastal home in Suffolk, UK.

Since Fall 2014 Thomas has held the post Professor of Music for New Media at Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute in Baltimore, MD. He is the author of the best-selling memoir The Speed Of Sound (2017).
Program Information: 

• Registration opens on Monday, May 13 at 12pm.
• To attend in person please register here.
• Doors will open to registered attendees at 6 pm.
• Free parking vouchers are available to program attendees who park at the Franklin Street Garage (15 W. Franklin Street) after 4pm.  Ask Pratt event staff for your parking voucher prior to or after the program.
• This free event will be presented in-person and virtually.