Fundamentals of Sailing, Cruising, and Racing - Hardcover

For all sailors - novices and experienced hands alikeSteve Colgate has prepared a revised and updated edition of his acclaimed primer on sailing, cruising, and racing. Founder and CEO of the most prestigious sailing school in the United States, Colgate has distilled from his years of teaching what must be the perfect text, removing the mystery of sailing and reducing the techniques to basic, simple principles. The sport - or way of life, as it is to many - of sailing is no longer restricted to the few (anyone who can afford a small outboard motorboat can afford a richly rewarding sailboat). Here, Colgate instructs the reader on all matters from how sails work under various conditions to night sailing and piloting, tactical problems and heavy-weather racing, emergencies, safety, boat control, and all other fundamentals. His progression from the very beginning - demystifying yachting terminology - is a masterpiece of simplicity and logic. Part I, "Sailing", is organized precisely like a day on the water: getting under way, dropping the mooring, controlling the boat on all points of sail, even stopping; how sails work, their trimming, the forces involved, heeling, dealing with wind shifts, emergencies, safety, boat control, and other fundamentals. Part II, "Cruising", moves from basics like special equipment through distance cruising, night sailing, piloting, electronic aids, medicine at sea, storage, and the galley and its needs. Part III, "Racing", covers preparation, the crew and its duties, the start and its timing, sail control, tactical problems, the rules, wind shifts, the spinnaker and its problems, heavy-weather racing: everything a sailor needs to know to survive and succeed inthe world of racing. This edition also contains information about the latest technical advances in equipment, and the new rules, regulations, and strategies that are critical to a safe and pleasurable time on the water. The result is a superior resource that is a must for all sailors.

Stephen Colgate lives in Sanibel, Florida. He is the author of several books and contributes regularly to Sail, Yachting, and Boating magazines.