Sailing Smart is for every sailor who wants to increase his or her knowledge, understanding, and sailing expertise: the local day-sailor who wants a firmer grasp of the fundamentals, as well as the serious competitor who wants to be up on the latest, most innovative sailing techniques and racing strategies. Buddy Melges, one of the world's best-known sailors, has at last set down his highly original thoughts on how to sail well. He covers the full range of sailing experience, from the general to the specific, the basic to the highly sophisticated. Melges's message is delivered in a bright, uncluttered manner by way of applications from his own sailing experience and through step-by-step instructions on everything from basic boat handling to expert on-the-course tactics and maneuvers. The book is profusely illustrated by the noted sailing artist Ted Brennan, and each drawing is accompanied by a cogent, in-depth explanatory caption.
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"When the best sailor in the world, Buddy Melges, reveals his secrets of success through a gifted writer, Charles Mason, one might expect the resulting book to be something special. Sailing Smart is that and more! Every sailor can learn from this book-- especially the good sailor who aspires to become very good."--Bob Bavier, Yachting
"Buddy Melges is so thorough, so clear, and so giving that any sailor who absorbs and applies his advice can't help but win. He is witty, entertaining, and sincere in his desire to promote better sailors....It's a book you can't stop reading."--Doris Colgate, Offshore Sailing School
"Buddy Melges is so thorough, so clear, and so giving that any sailor who absorbs and applies his advice can't help but win. He is witty, entertaining, and sincere in his desire to promote better sailors....It's a book you can't stop reading."--Doris Colgate, Offshore Sailing School
About the Author
Buddy Melges is respected in this country and around the world not only for his extraordinary sailing abilities, but also for his sportsmanship and personal standards of excellence both on and off the race course. He has won Gold and Bronze medals in Olympic competition as well as countless other national and world championships. Charles Mason is the executive editor of Sail magazine.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
More stuff to help you go fast.,
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This review is from: Sailing Smart: Winning Techniques, Tactics, And Strategies (Paperback)
This book is a fast read, so it's easy to recognize (and reinforce) what you already know, while picking out the new stuff you didn't know that will help you race faster.As an example, here are three things that I benefited from immediately. After you read the book, you'll have your own list. 1. The mental aspect of boat preparation. You have to do whatever it takes to KNOW that your boat is fast and ready to win. Otherwise, when you're going slow you'll be making excuses instead of finding what's wrong and fixing it. 2. A killer diagram showing spinnaker pole positioning for reaching. This diagram makes it completely obvious what to do, but it's TOTALLY contrary to the "prevailing wisdom" among most of the folks I sail with. But the first time I used Buddy's position, boy did we point with that chute! 3. A great description of "feathering" the boat upwind on the beat. As always, the winning combination is read, then sail, read some more, sail some more, then repeat. If you don't go on the water to practice, no book can help you. The downside is that the book was written before the new racing rules came into effect, so be sure you're fully familiar with the rules before taking Buddy's advice on tactics that rely specifically on rules for their validity. (For example, in one circumstance the advice to a leeward boat is to luff up quickly, and "tap" a windward boat, fouling them out of the race. You'll be on thin ice if you try this in the new rules, with their clear emphasis on the importance of avoiding collisions.)
27 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Serious about racing?,
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This review is from: Sailing Smart: Winning Techniques, Tactics, And Strategies (Paperback)
This is a short, easy to read book. You can knock it off in a couple of hours. What you learn in reading is how to win. No fancy tunning tricks, just the things you need to know how to win--the basics. His record proves the point. It is the best use of $10 I can think of to improve your skills. I'm a sailing instructor and plan to apply some of his ideas to my instruction.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Racing Skipper's Must Have,
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This review is from: Sailing Smart: Winning Techniques, Tactics, And Strategies (Paperback)
This review refers to "Sailing Smart" By Buddy Melges and Charles Mason...
Sailing season is in full swing. Day sailors, live aboards and racers are taking to the water, and although there is something to be gotten from this read for all of the above mentioned, this is a must read and geared towards racing sailors, and particularly Skippers. It is not a book for beginners, or those wanting to learn how to sail. A good knowledge of boating and sailing terms, and hands on experience is practically a prerequisite.It's for those serious about the sport.For those looking for more along the lines of help with the basics, I would recommend "Basic Sailing"(Diana Jessie) or "Sailing Fundamentals(Gary Jobson). These are both a great help, have glossaries and will prepare you for your certification test. See my reviews if interested. If you are completely new, hands-on lessons are a must. "Sailing Smart" is an excellent look at what it takes for racers to become champions. It's a treasure chest of advice from a champion. It's a read that you will not only find extremely helpful, but one that is so well written and interesting to racers, that you can read it straight through the first time around, and use it often to refer back to and practice(practice, practice) for specific maneuvers. Melges will take you from the beginning; preparing yourself and your crew, mentally and physically,preparing your equipment, understanding the elements, tactics for every leg of the race from the starting point to the finish, and some wonderful reflections on racing and winning. Every detail, no matter how small is talked about, and readiness for every situation that may occur is stressed. There are times when inches may make a difference, and this book will help you gain them. You will also find many illustrations, so you can visualize the maneuvers talked about. This book is nearly 20 years old. Sure there is new equipment coming out all the time, but "Sailing Smart" is just that. Smart Sailing! Learning to work with mother nature, getting the most from your sails, getting just the shape you need to pick up some speed, these things will never be out of date. A must have for every Skipper's library.(also a good read for crew members as well).I think even the very experienced can gain from the read. Just reading it through the first time will have you wanting to get involved in a race, and practicing the maneuvers, learning to read the wind will build your confidence as well. If you think about sailing all the time, this book is for you. After the read, you will not be able to think of anything else! See you at the finish line!....Laurie More recommended reading: Boating Skills and Seamanship (12th Edition) To the Sea In the Heart of the Sea: The Epic True Story That Inspired "Moby Dick"
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
When I was a small child, my father was working at a boat company in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, building sailboats and motor launches that would be used on Lake Geneva. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
sailing smart, jib ticklers, first windward leg, windward mark, batten section, gybe the mainsail, leeward mark, shroud telltales, favored tack, unfavored side, vang tension, boat astern, apparent wind angle, spinnaker guy, inside overlap, committee boat, boom vang, mast rake, reaching leg, leeward position, spinnaker sheet, port tack, starboard tack, boats astern, sail shape Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Flying Dutchman, Lake Geneva, George O'Day, Olympic Games, Andreas Josenhans, Mallory Cup, Rob Lansing New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
When I was a small child, my father was working at a boat company in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, building sailboats and motor launches that would be used on Lake Geneva. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
sailing smart, jib ticklers, first windward leg, windward mark, batten section, gybe the mainsail, leeward mark, shroud telltales, favored tack, unfavored side, vang tension, boat astern, apparent wind angle, spinnaker guy, inside overlap, committee boat, boom vang, mast rake, reaching leg, leeward position, spinnaker sheet, port tack, starboard tack, boats astern, sail shape Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Flying Dutchman, Lake Geneva, George O'Day, Olympic Games, Andreas Josenhans, Mallory Cup, Rob Lansing New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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