Kimball Livingston's writing is packed with the spirit and the canny tales of a water rat who has sailed the bay upside down and sideways. The author also gives rein to his scientific, analytical side, and he draws upon the best talents of the time, relating their favorite "holds and escapes" for the challenging winds and tides of the region. Whitbread winner Paul Cayard writes the foreword, Olympian Jeff Madrigali speaks on racing strategies for the Berkeley Circle, and U.S. Geological Survey hydrologist Ralph Ta-Shun Cheng addresses the interplay between wind and tide, for example.
Cruisers will find a guide to favored destinations from Petaluma on the north to Alviso on the south. But, Sailing The Bay reaches beyond the nuts and bolts of racing moves and overnight anchorages to embrace the characters and events that have "made" San Francisco Bay. If you want to be a savvy sailor, you need this book. If you want to share in the traditions of San Francisco Bay, you have to have it.
