High Performance Sailing (Paperback)

by Frank Bethwaite (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The techniques explained and the theory included in this book are original and based on the many years of experience the author has gained while coaching the highly successful Australian Olympic sailing team.

About the Author
Frank Bethwaite is revered amongst the sailing community for the depth, originality, and soundness of his research and for the successful application of his theories, which produce results for his disciples around the world time and time again.

Product Details

• Paperback: 436 pages
• Publisher: Adlard Coles (June 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0713667044
• ISBN-13: 978-0713667042
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #435,127 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE resource for high performance sailing of our generation., February 20, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: High Performance Sailing (Hardcover)

This book is about high performance sailing, and how to go as fast, under sail, as you possibly can. It doesn't matter if you race keel boats, or sailboards, or dinghies or multihulls; if you read, understand and practice what is written in this book, you will be a faster sailor. Frank and his family have include three Olympic competitors, four World Championships, as well as several Grand Masters (over age 60) World Championships by Frank himself. Frank has been a coach on the Australian Olympic Team since 1972 and also pursued pastimes with model gliders (twice open world endurance record holder) and full size sailplanes. His latest accomplishment is that of codesigner (with his son Julian)of the latest sailboat to be selected for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, the Bethwaite 49er. The book itself is laid out into four distinct parts; wind, water, the boat, and handling. Nothing is made in the book of tactics or rules. Frank assumes that once you get out in front, you stay out front. In all, a deeply technical book on how to sail faster. Highly recommended to serious sailors interested in performance. A must for any technical sailors library. Only once every 30 years or so does such a book come out, the last being C. A. Marchaj's "The Aero-Hydrodynamics of Sailing" from the 1960s. Don't miss it...

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars New information on wind and sail trim for serious racers, July 3, 1998

By	Ranger Class 5-83 Graduate "dseero" (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: High Performance Sailing (Paperback)

Frank Bethwaite and his son Julian are probably best known for their role in developing the Australian 18 skiffs and the 49er.

However, Mr. Bethwaite's background as a meteorologist, engineer, and pilot gives him a unique perspective in analysing the sailor's wind and how to maximize performance. His studies of hull drag, sail drag, and sail drive give the serious racing sailor valuable new information on how to maximize performance in a variety of conditions.

This book focuses on high-performance sailcraft, but the lessons are applicable to almost any racing boat.

Mr. Bethwaite provides many charts, graphs, and illustrations to support his observations on maximizing performance. Although this is a technical book, it is written for the layman.

This book significantly advances understanding of wind, sail trim, and boat handling. It is a must-read for anyone racing the new generation of planing sportboats like the Viper 640 or Melges 24, new high-performance racers like the Mumm 30 or One-Design 35, and the high-performance dinghies like the 29er, 49er, 505, Flying Dutchman, etc. But serious sailors of all sorts will benefit from the book, and the chapters on the development of the Australian 18 foot skiff are very interesting and not found in North American or European sailing texts.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Splendid reading for a sailing scientist, June 6, 2000

By	Martijn C.A.D. Burger (Hilversum, The Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: High Performance Sailing (Paperback)

It's a great book, although I don't think it's something for the average sailer. A vast knowledge of science will help you understanding this book much better. The book is devided into four parts, of which I especially found the first two parts, named wind and water, very usefull. Wind is not just the story about high and low pressures, it's also translated to the effects you see on the water and the action that needs to be taken for maximum benefit. The water part is a good explanation about wave paterns and how to sail it. Parts three and four, called The Boat and Handeling, I found less usefull. It's better to buy a book who's specific on your type of yacht than reading a general story about this.