High Performance Sailing

by Frank Bethwaite

Based on 25 years of research and Olympic coaching, High Performance Sailing reinvents the strategies of sailboat racing. It presents revolutionary explanations of wind prediction and boat design, a fundamental rethinking of how to sail a boat fast--literally faster than the wind. Bethwaite's theories boosted the average speed of the highest-performance sailboats from two-thirds the windspeed to windspeed or faster. Bethwaite is Australia's most successful Olympic coach, and his family includes three Olympic sailing champions and three world champions. This book will have a revolutionary impact on racing sailboats and the way they are sailed. "Essential for any serious racing sailor."--Gary Jobson "It represents a breakthrough in the way that it relates the theoretical aspects of wind, seastate and rig shape to the way a crew would sail and handle a boat during a race. It has the potential to be a standard reference work on the subject and will not quickly date. It is a book that my Olympic squad will benefit from."--Rod Carr, British Olympic Sailing Team Manager "Frank's book is a treasure chest, full of brilliant insights into the ways of air and water as they flow around our sailing boats. Best of all, he tells us what to do when we go sailing."--Alan Payne, Designer of America's Cup challengers Gretal I and II "Allowed only one 'if only' in yacht racing . . . it would have been to have read Frank Bethwaite's High Performance Sailing years ago and to have it available for constant reference. Taking all the advice which he offers from his wide experience would have made championship winning a great deal easier."--Bob Fisher, Journalist, broadcaster and winner of many national and international sailing championships "The most significant scientific thinking about sailboat racing to come along in three decades. A brilliant and important book for serious racing sailors."--Ed Adams, US Sailing Team Coach; national, North American, and world champion sailor "Bethwaite's grasp of the entire spectrum of sailing speed is unique and formidable."--Gerry Hoyt, Yacht designer, sailing speed innovator

414 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1993

Reviews

[Curtis Woodford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who wants to understand how sailboats, especially dinghies, work on a basic level needs to read this book and come back to it often. All of the complexity of sailboat racing is not dumbed down, which to some may make it boring. I found it exciting to finally understand why the top of the fleet says to sail a particular way rather than taking their advice at face value. If you want to get better at filtering out spurious advice on how to get faster, this book is all you need to dismiss the old wives tales that sailors repeat without thinking. It is no substitute for getting in a boat and experimenting yourself, but it will accelerate your acquisition of boat speed by providing you with a solid knowledge foundation about what you should be trying on the water.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

not boring. if you want to go faster start here.