The Winner's Guide to Optimist Sailing

A book for Opti (ie, beginning) sailors shd have 3 sections: How to rig the boat, How to sail, and Racing techniques. Since there are a lot of good books covering the 2nd and 3rd topics, an Opti-specific book shd focus on rigging.Jobson and Kehoe do a very poor job of describing how to get your Opti rigged and ready to go. The topic is broken up into 3 non-contiguous sections, with minimal illustrations. Some of the photos have wrong captions. And there is no discussion or even acknowledgment of the IOD 95 standard.For example, at one point the authors stress the importance of the boom preventer -- but there is no drawing of this device, and no clear description of how a "twist" (or a "turn", in another place in the book) is to be managed.There is no index and only a partial glossary of terms.Of course, the sections on racing are very detailed. But I wish the authors had organized the material with beginning sailors in mind. What's missing is some kind of hierarchical ranking of what's important to winning. Kids need the important points emphasised. But this book makes no distinction between, say, starting on the favored end of the line versus keeping your air clear. And I don't think covering your opponent is mentioned at all.I haven't gotten Slater's book yet, but it has to be better than this one.

-it's 17 yrs since first publication, secondhand copy, still relevant for young Opto tyros. Wish I'd had this in 1945 when I sailed/raced an old clunker at age 10yrs in England.Happy sailing, Graham

Best book for a beginner opti sailor.

good basic information fro new racers

My son loves the book. My husband loves it. And so does my daughter. Thoughtfully put together with lots of basic info as well as advanced strategy/theory.

Skylor really needed this book to be competative. Now if he would only read it. He will be in the White fleet and his winning streak could be over.

Great book for my 12 year old who has just started sailing lessons last summer. He loves the book!

Some of the printed illustrations are hard to read.

As a 12 year old optimist sailor, i ordered the book to help me in regattas and racing techniques. The beginning is more geared toward beginners but the end is quite good for what i wanted. Although I still had a major improvement in between the last regatta where I did not have this book and the first one wich I had it

Book is clearly not original. Pages looked photocopied in black and white. Pictures were faint and unclear, although they were meant to demonstrate sailing concepts

My son's bible for the sailing season

Great guide for my grandsons.