Getting Started in Sailboat Racing

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Item # MH-24008  ISBN: 0071424008




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A complete course in the fundamentals, Getting Started in Sailboat Racing dispels the sport's elite aura and makes racing accessible to any sailor who wants to give it a try.

This illustrated manual takes readers around the buoys, explaining the rules and tactics that govern starts, finishes, mark roundings, and boat-to-boat struggles for speed and advantage.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1—Welcome to the Racecourse
A Hypothetical Race | The Course | Flags, Guns, and Other Signals | The Rules | Q & A

Chapter 2—Starting
Basic Tenets of Starting | Starting Strategies | Q & A

Chapter 3—The Windward Leg
Sailing Smart on the Windward Leg | Playing the Shifts | More Tips/Rules for the Beat | Q & A

Chapter 4—Windward Mark Roundings
The Rules at the Mark | Approaching the Mark | Boat Handling at the Windward Mark | Q & A

Chapter 5—Downwind Legs/Reaches
Sailing Dead Downwind | Reaching Legs | Rules for Sailing Downwind | Q & A

Chapter 6—Leeward Mark Roundings and Finishing
Rules at the Leeward Mark | Strategies at the Mark | Finishing | Q & A

Chapter 7—Basic Tactics and a Few Tricks
Smart Port-Starboard Crossing | Covering and Passing Downwind | Knowing Where to Go | Q & A

Chapter 8—Weather
How Weather Works | Weather Sources and Race Day | Q & A

Chapter 9—Boat Speed, Part 1: Sail Controls and Concepts
Balance | Sail Shape: The Jargon | Sail Controls | Mast Tuning | New Sails: How Do You Know Your Sails Are Good Enough? | Q & A

Chapter 10—Boat Speed, Part 2: Sailing to Windward
The Way Sails Work to Windward | Putting Sail Controls into Action | A Quick Look at Keels | Q & A

Chapter 11—Boat Speed, Part 3: Sailing Off the Wind
Sail Trim to Leeward | Spinnakers | A Quick Downwind Trimming Guide | And Now... The "Disappointment" | Q & A

Chapter 12—Getting Involved
Kinds of Racing | Finding a Fleet | Yacht Clubs: Should You Join? | Buying a Boat | Q & A

Epilogue—Some Final Thoughts
Appendix | Resources | Outline of Racing Rules | Glossary | Index

Getting Started in Sailboat Racing