Description:
With a dedication that cites the lovely passage from The Wind in the Willows about how there's "nothing half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats," the DK Complete Sailing Manual tacks into a welcoming breeze from the start. It's an unpretentious, simply written, well-organized (by color codes for easy referral, no less), and comprehensively illustrated instructional that starts with the basics and, step by understandable step, builds from there. Steve Sleight, a British National Champion racer, charts a course that beginners can quickly pick up and the more advanced can hold onto for ready reference. Emphasizing essential principles and techniques, he gets you into the boat, familiarizes you with both theory and practice, and then launches you safely with more than enough knowledge to keep you afloat. Before returning to port, he'll have you relatively ship-shape in knots, navigation, maintenance, safety, equipment, weather, and etiquette in vessels and situations ranging from one-person dinghies to multi-hulled yachts and calm lakes to high seas. "For those who catch the sailing bug, there is rarely a cure," he writes. Given this, the Manual comes through handily with the requisite life support. --Jeff Silverman
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