The Tactics Of Small Boat Racing

The author of "A Manual of Sail Trim" has designed a guide for the competitive racing dinghy sailor that explains the art of maneuvering. The object of the text is to provide instructions on keeping a dinghy in relation to its competitors so that it finishes the race in the lead.

Olympic gold medallist and multiple world champion, Paul Goodison, explains why this book is important if you want to win races. He says: "To win sailboat races you need to sail the boat fast. This comes down to hours on the water training and tuning – there are few shortcuts to hours of practising on the water. To consistently win races you need to sail fast and smart – making the right decisions to sail the best course. If you are not the fastest boat, you are still able to win races and regattas by managing risk and sailing smart. This is where good tactics come in. But, unlike boatspeed, tactics may be learnt by thinking about each leg of the course and different situations from the comfort of your own home. Jon Emmett's new book, Tactics Made Simple, is a great tool to help fast track this learning." This book explains simply, through hundreds of diagrams, what tactics can be applied around the race track. Individual boats in each scenario are given names so that you can easily understand what they are doing. Individual chapters take you around the race course, from before you get on the water, through the pre-start, start, different legs and manoeuvres. Each section contains detailed advice for the beginner, intermediate and advanced sailor so you can just look at the level of tactics relevant to you. Ideal for dinghy sailors, there is also a wealth of advice that will benefit yachtsmen. This is a practical way to improve your racing results, whether starting out, moving up the club circuit or competing at national level and beyond. Originally published by Wiley Nautical as Be Your Own Tactics Coach.

"Possibly the best book on racing tactics ever written." --Ted Jones, Dolphin Book Club News

Presents a guide for beginning and intermediate racers who are mired in the bottom or middle of the fleet. With the help of numerous diagrams, readers learn to recognize when they are threatened on the race course and when they must move to realize a potential advantage.