Who doesn’t want Stress Free Sailing? Well without the capitals surely it’s what many of us are attracted to in the pastime of boating. But of course stress is an attitude of mind and while some people are shiveringly sick to their bones in heavy weather or when things start breaking, others burst into song as if the threatening calamity was just another chance to display their inner happiness and joy at being tested by the greatness of the salty waterworld.
And that could be down to confidence, itself down to experience, knowledge and self reliance… which is what this book is really about. Because in 11 chapters it covers a huge number of sailing techniques aimed principally at single and short-handed sailors.
It’s written, in a plain no-nonsense way, by Duncan Wells, principal of the Westview Sailing School which produces tutorial videos as well as running RYA training courses. There are loads of photos and diagrams on each page explaining the methods and it’s a concise treatment of the skills required to skipper a boat – not bad as an aide memoire either! DH
£16.99, 160pp, 2015, adlardcoles.com
Review from CS No10 July 2016