Helming to Win

Rating:
Summary: A great intermediate text
Review: This is a pretty good intermediate text for dinghy racing. It covers all the basics that a helmsman should be aware of.

1. Sail Trim, and controls (how to set sails for various wind conditions using the vang, cunningham, and outhaul)
2. Boat Trim, (balance, sailing flat vs with a heel, trapezing, at various wind speeds)
3. Roll tacking and roll gybing (what the skipper should do to keep speed)
4. How to round the marks (within a crowd or alone)
5. Capsize recovery
6. Spinnaker work (symmetric and asymmetric spinnakers)
7. Starting (favored end, being at full speed when the horn goes off)
8. Finishing (choosing what end to go to)

The book doesn't contain much in the way of tactics. It does go through all the essentials of sailing well, which is a must at any race. If you work on the many techniques suggested in this book your speed around the race course will most certainly improve.
The text is not at all lively. It tells you what you need to know and that's it. If you want a more entertaining text with an equal if not better amount of information you should buy Dave Perry's Winning in One-Design.