Dinghy Sailing: The Essential Guide to Equipment and Techniques (Adventure Sports) - Softcover

This practical, illustrated guide provides the ideal introduction to the complex, challenging skill of sailing. It offers a concise but authoritative explanation, in text and diagrams, of everything a beginner needs to know before getting on the water, from parts of a boat to how the wind works on a sail. Photographs demonstrate the on-the-water techniques, from hoisting the sail to tacking and gybing. Once these essentials are mastered, the reader can sail any size and shape of dinghy, whether to race or cruise, whether single-handedly or in a team. A chapter details the types of sailing dinghy available and explains how to choose the right one. Understanding wind, weather and current, the rules of the road at sea, coastguard safety and dealing with minor injuries are fully covered.

Sarah Ell, sailor and novelist, lives in New Zealand. A native of Auckland, home to the America's Cup and affectionately known as the City of Sails, she was brought up around boats. She still lives in Auckland, where she is a journalist by trade and a sailor by passion.