Customer Reviews

Championship Tactics: How Anyone Can Sail Faster, Smarter, and Win Races

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

.

I think my review title says it all. I tried to come up with a way of summarizing the material in this 350 page book, and couldn't. There was too much!

Jobson and Whidden, two world class sailors, packed each chapter full of information--well may not the first chapter--that was short. But the rest of them were long, detailed and packed to the gills with important information.

If you race and don't read this book, you will probably not do as well as someone who has read the book. It is that simple.

This book is for aspiring racers who want to improve their standings in the fabulous sport of sailboat racing. Are you ready to race and win? Are you ready to learn?

What I liked best about the book was its organization. Look at the index below and you will get a hint of what I mean. But you will have to buy the book or thumb through it to really understand what I mean.

I liked the emphasis on teamwork, communication, and leadership, which I find under-emphasized in other books I've read.

Great information is provided on the winds in different parts of the country. Read the section on your sailing area and any place you race.

This is not a one night read of a book. Plan on spending lots of time with this book reading it, and re-reading, and applying it to improve your on the race course performance.

Index:

1. What is a Tactician

2. Creating a Game Plan

3. Starting

4. Upwind Tactics

5. Downwind Tactics

6. Faster Finishes

7. Steering

8. Tactical Instruments

9. Putting it All Together

---------------------------------

Smooth Sailing

This book has a huge amount of useful information for the racing sailor - tips, tactics, strategies, execution, etc. It does assume some prior knowledge, which I didn't always have when I read it, and it is not always as clear or readable as it could be - some sections, I had to read 3 or 4 times before I understood them. It's a great book, though, and does concentrate on tactics, as the title suggests. There are also tips on boatspeed, sail trim, crew psychology, etc. It's intelligently broken down into sections - pre-start, starting tactics, the reach, the run, finishing, etc. I highly recommend it - just be prepared to work at it a little bit, once in a while.

This is a great reference book for any racing enthusiast. It is not really the type of book that you can sit down and read cover to cover, but rather allows the reader to consult a number of topics in the order that they choose. It is an excellent source for the fundamentals of advanced racing (if that makes any sense). Reads very easily, but there is a lot of stuff in here to absorb. I highly recommend this, it should be in every racer's home library.

Not since Loory's now, sadly, out of print book, "Block Island Days-Bohemian Nights" has an author captured the feel of sailing tactics in such a poetic, yet professional way.

Mr. Loory structures his work as a tournament of ideas pitting "Boat Speed" against "Right is Might". The beauty of this methodology is that it soon becomes apparent that the combination of both "Speed" and Tactics will enable the Club sailor to take home trophy's and have bragging rights at the

Yacht Club Bar.

This book is helpful to sailors of all skill levels, whether you've just started and want to learn the ropes, or if you've been racing for years and want to get better. Definitely 5 stars!

excellent book for real sailors, who want to know as much as a top sailors...

This book is a complete manual of racing tactics, crew training and pre-race preparation. It covers everything you need to know to get ahead of the competition and train your crew to be happy and highly competitive. I highly recommend this book for skippers and crew alike.

This is a very interesting book with plenty of insight into real sailboat racing. Where I race, everyone is so polite that no one is nudged over the starting line and everyone gets plenty of room. This book describes full contact sailboat racing. It's not for wimps. But it makes a good case that most races are won or lost before the race ever starts. The writers stress the importance of preparation and planning, two qualities we casual weekend racers usually lack. It has certainly improved my understanding of sailboat racing. I hope I can put it all into practice.