Have you ever dreamed of running away to a tropical island? In 1996 Jane Grossman left behind a comfortable life in Chicago and set off with her husband on their 34-foot sailboat, Iniki, to sail South America. What began as a chance to simplify their lifestyle and to see the islands gradually evolved to a sojourn of self-discovery, renewal and triumph over breast cancer. "Windshifts" is a true sailing adventure that chronicles the wonder and excitement, the difficulties and fears from a woman's perspective. Vivid details and delightful descriptions of exotic lands, cultural interactions and inevitable conflicts of a husband and wife confined to close quarters involve the reader with all of their senses. More importantly, it is a reflection on dealing with the unexpected challenges that confront us all throughout our lives.

Includes: an analysis of a good skipper; the theory and practice of sailing; seamanship; navigation, including plotters and PCs; meteorology; heavy weather and stability; and coping with emergencies. This book guides examination candidates authoritatively through the RYA syllabus as a sea pilot bringing a ship to harbour.

The complete guide to racing in dinghies and yachts, packed with hands-on practical advice, user friendly instructional diagrams, and lively, inspirational photography. Racing in dinghies and yachts is a uniquely challenging sport – no other form of racing puts you at the mercy of something as unpredictable as wind or current. To win, you need an understanding of the weather and of your craft, and an understanding of psychology, whether that's your own strategy and adaptability or your opponents'. The most thorough and comprehensive guide to sail racing ever written, The Sail Racing Bible avoids the overly technical, but includes theory to help you understand what you need to do, when and why. Packed with step-by-step instructions, clear bird's-eye diagrams showing exactly what you need to do, tip boxes and checklists, tables and charts, this book is the racing coach you need by your side, at every stage of the race, and at every level from beginner to advanced. With up-and-coming racer Mason Stang and his superstar coach Udi Gal to hand, anyone – at whatever level – can turn yesterday's defeat into tomorrow's victory.

The Skipper's Cockpit Racing Guide is an at-a-glance reference for dinghy and yacht racers, covering everything they need to know to improve their performance – and win. From those in their first year of racing to old hands wondering why they're not winning, this guide covers an enormous amount of detail in a simple, easy to follow format. Topics are broken down into photo sequences, boxes, flowcharts, hints and tips, and cover: - setting your goals - assembling the right boat and gear - practising and tuning (straight line, tacking, gybing, rounding marks, doing penalties) - starting (planning, set-up of rig and foils) - race strategy (beating, reaching, running) - tactics against the opposition - crewing skills (trim, weight) - tides and currents (what affects the flow, using them to your advantage) - wind (wind shadows, wind bends, forecasts) - spinnakers (symmetric, asymmetric, hoist, gybe, drop) - rules (start, beat, reach, run) A final section on troubleshooting enables readers to rate their performance and identify areas for improvement, handily linking back to those pages in the book.