A Manual of Sail Trim [Paperback]

Stuart H. Walker M.D. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 17, 1985

A guide for racing covers the principles of sail trim, crew movement techniques, maneuvers, and control systems, and gives advice on adjusting to special conditions.

Illustrated throughout

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Stuart H. Walker is professor of pediatrics emeritus at the University of Maryland Medical School and an international dinghy champion. He was a member of the 1968 U.S. Olympic team and the 1979 U.S. Pan-American Team.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; 1st edition (July 17, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393032965
• ISBN-13: 978-0393032963
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #527,207 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #47 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Outdoor Recreation > Sailing > Instructional

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sail. Read. Think. Discuss. Repeat., May 31, 2001

By 

Steven Hartman (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Manual of Sail Trim (Paperback)

If you've got a couple of seasons of serious sailing (racing) under your belt, and you're looking to improve your mastery of sail trim, this book can aid in understanding. This is not the most approachable read, but it's equally true that there is detailed knowledge here that you just won't find anywhere else.

Another reviewer pointed out that the book is organized by sail controls, not by conditions, or shapes you want to achieve. But it's very important to point out that great information about desirable sail shapes and how they are appropriate to various conditions IS contained in the book. For instance, my understanding of how much sail twist to put in, based on wind strength and water smoothness comes from applying what I read in Walker.

Here's how it works for me.

Sail a bunch. Reach a threshold. Read Walker. Sail some more. Think. Sail some more. Attend a sail-trim seminar such as the one held by Kame Richards, in the Bay Area. Sail some more. Talk things over with guys I sail with. Sail some more. Improve. Repeat.

You can't get better at sailing just by reading. No book can do that for you. But Walker is one way to get the in-depth knowledge you'll need to continue to improve.

Don't let the term "vector" cause your brain to immediately turn off. Remember, "vector" is just a fancy word for a force applied in a specific direction. And we do use a few of those in sailing ;-)

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It's a cookbook of sailtrim, January 2, 2003

By 

pekka tallgren (Helsinki Finland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Manual of Sail Trim (Paperback)

Walker's sail trim book is a cookbook of sailtrims. I found the information that I had lacked from this book so it is useful for sail racers. The organization of the book is poor - information conserning some topic is hiddened to 2-3 places and is difficult to find due to poor table of contents and short of index. The book is mostly for dinghies(?) because vang sheeting was always used and often the only solution for correct trim. Backstay, or runners was only mentioned few times. About checkstays I could not find any information. But - because the correct sailshape information could be found for every situation, it was very useful, but good background knowledge is needed to apply the information for other boats having checkstays, runners, etc.
I don't recommend it for novice or even intermediate level or cruisers. With some reorganization it could be recommended for everyone.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book on Marconi Rig sail trim, June 30, 2004

By 

G. Powell (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Manual of Sail Trim (Paperback)

This is not a book to read once and then go sailing and win. At least for me, I had to read a chapter or two, go out and try it, the read and repeat. The bit that helped me the most was the theory of the vang. I've used it for downwind legs to hold the boom down but not for upwind. With a bendy mast you can open up the leach by using the vang on the upwind legs too. It pushes the mast forward and induces a bend. With a stiff mast it closes off the leach. It's just one more control that I wasn't using well.

The terms "power up" and "vector" and used all over the place, and honestly if I knew what would "power up" the boat while keeping my boat pointing all the time I wouldn't need this book, but there are clues as to what will help drive the boat.

The text on the spinaker is also great. You really do need to keep the leading edge just at a curl and Stuart explains why. It does help, I pass boats going downwind all the time who have stalled their spinakers.

If you are a serious single design racer you need this book. You PHRF'ers will rarely know if what you are doing helped other than to watch the knot meter. If you beat another boat, was it just sail area and hull length? Or did you really get the maximum performance out of your sails.

And yes those tell-tails are key to seeing the air flow on the sail.