Catamaran Sailing: From Start to Finish (Paperback)

~ Phil Berman (Author), Bradford Scott (Illustrator) "The catamaran is an exciting multi-purpose sailboat..." (more)
Key Phrases: shroud yarns, righting line, tiller crossbar (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The classic guide to catamarans, updated to bring readers the latest for everyman's sailboat. Fast, inexpensive, versatile, and exciting, catamarans are one of America's most popular pleasure crafts. Here is a complete course in catamaran sailing for the beginner and the semi-experienced sailor who wants to become more skilled in the arts of tuning, handling, and racing cats. Included are sections on buying a cat, learning the basics, heavy weather sailing, racing tactics, surfing, and more. Includes a new chapter on how to use high-performance sails.

About the Author

Phil Berman has been sailing and racing catamarans since 1969. A past winner of the Hobie 14 World Championships and second-place finisher in the Hobie 18 Worlds, he has also written Catamaran Racing: From Start to Finish.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: W.W. Norton & Co.; Revised Edition edition (April 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039331880X
• ISBN-13: 978-0393318807
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #306,981 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for beginning sailors!, November 8, 1998

By	Billy Geers ([e-mail]) (Mobile, AL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Catamaran Sailing: From Start to Finish (Paperback)

Before I read this book, I knew almost absolutely nothing about sailing. However, after reading it I was able to easily handle a Hobie 16 without previously ever having been on one. The book explains from buying your first boat all the way to advanced sailboat handling. It is a must read for anyone considering taking up catamaran sailing as a hobby.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for beginning catamaran sailors, June 9, 1998

By	Jim Lowell (Minneapolis, MN, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Catamaran Sailing: From Start to Finish (Paperback)

This book is a great tutorial on everything you need to know about sailing and racing a catamaran. It assumes you know nothing and covers all the information necessary to buy, rig, sail, and store your cat. Geared towards smaller cats and not cruising cats (Hobie, Prindle, Nacra, etc.) I highly recommend it!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for the beginning catamaran sailor, August 27, 2002

By	Jonathan W. Robie (Durham, NC USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My wife and I knew how to sail a Sunfish, and when we went shopping for a boat, we bought a Prindle catamaran. It quickly became apparent that we didn't know how to handle it in heavy weather. Catamaran sailing really is a bit different.

This book was exactly what we needed. It starts at the very beginning, and the early chapters were a bit *too* basic, but the later chapters fill in the level of detail we needed. It is written by someone who clearly knows how to teach and how to write. I don't know a better book to start with.

I do wish this book had an index, but that's my main complaint.