The Winner's Guide to Optimist Sailing

Rating:
Summary: A disappointment
Review: A book for Opti (ie, beginning) sailors shd have 3 sections: How to rig the boat, How to sail, and Racing techniques. Since there are a lot of good books covering the 2nd and 3rd topics, an Opti-specific book shd focus on rigging.

Jobson and Kehoe do a very poor job of describing how to get your Opti rigged and ready to go. The topic is broken up into 3 non-contiguous sections, with minimal illustrations. Some of the photos have wrong captions. And there is no discussion or even acknowledgment of the IOD 95 standard.

For example, at one point the authors stress the importance of the boom preventer -- but there is no drawing of this device, and no clear description of how a "twist" (or a "turn", in another place in the book) is to be managed.

There is no index and only a partial glossary of terms.

Of course, the sections on racing are very detailed. But I wish the authors had organized the material with beginning sailors in mind. What's missing is some kind of hierarchical ranking of what's important to winning. Kids need the important points emphasised. But this book makes no distinction between, say, starting on the favored end of the line versus keeping your air clear. And I don't think covering your opponent is mentioned at all.

I haven't gotten Slater's book yet, but it has to be better than this one.

Rating:
Summary: A disappointment
Review: A book for Opti (ie, beginning) sailors shd have 3 sections: How to rig the boat, How to sail, and Racing techniques. Since there are a lot of good books covering the 2nd and 3rd topics, an Opti-specific book shd focus on rigging.

Jobson and Kehoe do a very poor job of describing how to get your Opti rigged and ready to go. The topic is broken up into 3 non-contiguous sections, with minimal illustrations. Some of the photos have wrong captions. And there is no discussion or even acknowledgment of the IOD 95 standard.

For example, at one point the authors stress the importance of the boom preventer -- but there is no drawing of this device, and no clear description of how a "twist" (or a "turn", in another place in the book) is to be managed.

There is no index and only a partial glossary of terms.

Of course, the sections on racing are very detailed. But I wish the authors had organized the material with beginning sailors in mind. What's missing is some kind of hierarchical ranking of what's important to winning. Kids need the important points emphasised. But this book makes no distinction between, say, starting on the favored end of the line versus keeping your air clear. And I don't think covering your opponent is mentioned at all.

I haven't gotten Slater's book yet, but it has to be better than this one.

Rating:
Summary: NECESSARY!
Review: Contrary to another review, this book DOES tell a kid how to rig the boats, gives important information about doing so, as well as good guidelines for seamanship and racing tactics. An altogether readable, understandable guide for both kids and parents. If your kid is starting to sail, get them off on the right tack by giving them this book, and you as a parent should also read it. It's a sensible, easily-understood book, written with humor and plenty of information.

Rating:
Summary: very informative
Review: I am an Optimist sailor. If you want to know how to sail or race competitvely read this book. It combines good racing techniques with Optimist basics. This THE book to get if you want to figure out what's what on any type of optimist. New or old. It has great illustrations and that depict how to sail well and get riggedthe right way. This book helped me get sixth place in the Junior Olympics in Island Hieghts, NJ. If you want to sail an opti Read this book!