Steve Sleight, previously involved in creating another sailing manual, Bob Bond’s Handbook of Sailing, has now created his own version of a sailor’s how-to guide with his Complete Sailing Manual. Although it promises on the cover to deliver “everything you need to master the sport” there’s no substitute for time spent on the water. Yet it is a book that anyone, no matter how skilled, can pick up and benefit from reading.
The first half of the book focuses on dinghy sailing and racing skills. The second half focuses on cruising, navigation, weather, boat care, and safety. It is well illustrated, making the book valuable as a training text.
In between expected material – helmsman and crew, turning forces, tacking, jibing – are the nuggets of gold reminding us why we’re out there sailing and telling us the author is one of us: “The reality (for most of us) is that sailing sometimes involves getting wet and cold, occasionally scares the hell out of you, and usually costs more than we will admit to our nearest and dearest. Why do we do it? Because more than most other activities, it offers a reward that, if it could be bottled, would be worth a fortune. Satisfaction at learning new skills (and you never stop learning aboard boats), and being responsible for ourselves in a potentially hostile environment are just part of the reward.”
And he makes this further point: “There is no doubt that it is best to start sailing young – not because it is difficult to learn to sail at a later stage, but because you waste less time missing out on the joys of sailing.”
Published in Britain, this book has a few terms that remind us that we no longer share a common mother tongue, but it is clear that sailing has made comrades out of us all, just the same.
As noted, this book won’t substitute for on-the-water experience. But it’s a good companion. Everything you need to master the sport? Probably not, but it might be part of what you need.
The DK Complete Sailing Manual by Steve Sleight (DK Publishing, Inc., 1999; 320 pages)
