The Sail Racing Bible: The Complete Guide for Dinghy and Yacht Racers

Stang, a Brown University sailing competitor, and Gall, a two-time Olympic sailor and world and European champion, offer a comprehensive overview of the rigors of racing in dinghies and yachts and the sport’s culture. Advanced sailors will appreciate the authors’ perspectives on preparation tasks as well as racing tactics, rules, and strategy. Less-experienced readers gain an introduction to sailing and an overview of what to expect if they decide to go all in with the sport. The book is better suited for sailors with some experience, since it lacks, for instance, a glossary that would help general readers understand the jargon. The book is structured the way a race would be: pre-race preparation first, jockeying for initial position next, and then handling what happens when sailors sail upwind or downwind again as these racing stages present themselves. Generous diagrams, charts, and photographs demonstrate the lessons and provide this technically minded book with visual interest.