How to Trim Sails [Paperback]

Peter Schweer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1998

This practical introduction to trimming sails is written to help owners and crew sailing on all types of boats, from dingies to offshore cruisers. It encompasses mainsail and headsails, and explains the effect of various controls on the shape and performance of sails.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"How to Trim Sails" provides practical advice that will instruct both the beginner and experienced sailor. As fuel is to powerboats so sails are to dinghies - you won't get far without one. Knowing the effects for various controls on the shape and performance of the sails can make a huge difference, and Peter Schweer lends years of experience to the task. The rigs included are masthead, fractional with swept spreaders, fractional with runners and dinghy with swept spreaders. --Soundings magazine

Okay, Here are all the answers in this one little pocket book. Main, head, mizzen... oops, no mizzen, as this is more for performance sailors than cruisers, but it will help you get the most goodies out of the wind. Also good info on mast rake and camber. --Latitudes & Attitudes

Owners of all kinds of boats, from dinghies to cruisers, will find "How to Trim Sails: Dinghies to Offshore Cruisers" an easy, important reference now in its updated second edition. Don't let its slim appearance surprise you: it's in fact packed with trim details for all levels of experience and packs in tips on the most popular rig configurations for modern yachts and boats, pairing reference tables of at-a-glance detail with diagrams and clear directions. --Midwest Book Review --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Peter Schweer has international experience in all forms of sailing from blue water cruising to top-level racing. He regularly demonstrates sail-trim techniques at European boat shows. He lives in Germany. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Sheridan House (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0924486236
• ISBN-13: 978-0924486234
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,034,255 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't let its slim appearance surprise you, December 13, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Trim Sails: Dinghies to Offshore Cruisers (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

Owners of all kinds of boats, from dinghies to cruisers, will find HOW TO TRIM SAILS: DINGHIES TO OFFSHORE CRUISERS an easy, important reference now in its updated second edition. Don't let its slim appearance surprise you: it's in fact packed with trim details for all levels of experience and packs in tips on the most popular rig configurations for modern yachts and boats, pairing reference tables of at-a-glance detail with diagrams and clear directions.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

4.0 out of 5 stars Sail Smarter, Faster, July 7, 2008

By 

Dave Lochner (Syracuse, NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Trim Sails: Dinghies to Offshore Cruisers (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

Learning to sail is easy, all you need is a few hours of competent instruction and you are off and sailing. Really, it's not that difficult. The challenge, a lifelong challenge, is to sail a boat to its potential in all conditions. Afterall, it is said that anytime two sailboats can see each other, there's a sailboat race; How to Trim Sails will help you win those informal races as well as the Wednesday night series at your local club.

If you are just learning to sail, come back in a year or two and buy this book. Schweer's book is not about learning to sail, it is about learning to sail better. If you follow Schweer's advice, you'll find yourself enjoying sailing more and if you are racing, sailing faster and finishing higher in the fleet. Primarily geared towards dinghies and small keelboats the advice also applies to offshore keelboats.

This book is well organized and leads logically from setting up your boat to be easily sailed, to sail controls, to chapters on sailing in various conditions, and finally to chapters on different rig types. The structure of the book is such that you will want to keep it aboard as a quick reference and review; this is not a book to read once and then let sit on the bookshelf. Accompanying photos and diagrams are clear and easily understood complementing the prose which has been translated from German.

Clear and concise, the advice in How to Trim Sails will help you move to the next level in sailing; giving others a clear view of your transom.

Dave Lochner
NauticalReads