Dinghy Sailing

Book excerpt: Dinghy Sailing: Start to Finish is a complete reference for every level of sailor whether you are a beginner and need a straightforward, easy-to-understand guide or are taking your sailing to the next level and looking for the professional tips and tricks that will get you sailing faster, better, safer and having more fun. It includes single-handed dinghies through to planing speed craft. Full colour with 150 fantastic, clear illustrations and 150 photographs, Dinghy Sailing: Start to Finish gives the reader a thorough, complete and visual guide to life on the water. Packed with expert advice from the professionals at UKSA, the book covers: Basic Principles Parts of the boat - exploded illustrations of a dinghy and components How a boat sails - Sailing theory explained Points of sailing - Sailing a dinghy at different angles to the wind Choosing a dinghy - Types of boat and their suitability Preparing to sail - Safety afloat, practical clothing, rigging to launching. Knots and Ropes - Practical illustrations for basic knots and splices Transporting dinghies -Road trailer to roof racks Sailing for the first time - Balance, sail trim Rowing and paddling Rules of the road - Avoiding other boats, Rights of way, Basic racing rules Understanding tides and currents Weather forecasting - How to spot tell-tale signs of change in wind and weather Basic Techniques Tacking Gybing Beating to windward Reaching Running Spinnaker handling Capsize and recovery Returning to shore Packing the dingy away Maintenance Advanced Dinghy Sailing High performance dinghies and catamarans Trapezing Asymmetric spinnakers - Setting, handling and gybing Singlehanded sailing - dinghies and catamarans Tuning - dinghies and catamarans Heavy weather sailing - dinghies and catamarans The Basics of Racing The start - Practical lessons and rules explained First leg tactics - Practical lessons and rules explained Reaching - Practical lessons and rules explained Running - Practical lessons and rules explained Glossary of Terms