Quickly 'Round the Bouys - An Introduction to Sailboat Racing by Sam Hunter

Posted By: Steve Haines
Date: 6/6/01 7:55a.m.

Report: outside forum guidelines

If you are already a seasoned racer, this is not the book for you; it you have a little experience, it may be helpful. For those of us who cruise and daysail, but are vexed by racing rules that seem Byzantine, this book is a treasure chest. It will not teach you how to win. It will teach you to compete with an understanding of the arena. This book will not teach you to handle your boat; that is a prerequisite. But Sam Hunter, a club racer and frequent contributor to the Trailor Sailor Bulletin Board, has succeded where most authors fail: he has put a ton of USEFUL information in a pound of pages. More importantly, he has done it in a way that is organized and easy to understand. If you like boatbabble and cupspeak, you will be disappointed. If you want to learn and have fun, look here. Examples from the table of contents: Types of Racing How do you know who won? The Race Course Layouts The Players (Who is involved in all this stuff)? How A Race Is Organized (Some more than others) The Big Picture The Parts of a Race The Start Racing The Finish The Rules of Racing Purpose Effect Enforcement The Courses More About Those Rules [quite a bit more, actually] I'm not a racer, and have only crewed in a race once. I checked this book out because I have considered entering the fray. I hit the jackpot with Sam's book, and I'm going to get copies for some of my nonracing pals. We may not win, but we won't embarrass ourselves. Well, at least not because we don't know the basics about racing. Sam put together a piece that is organized, understandable, and succinct. It is informative and readable, a meat and potatos book, with a little gravy added, and therein lies its value. It is a book to read NOW, and go racing-and take the book with you, tucked in a ziplock. If you want a 400 page technical tome to wade through, wait until winter, read it, and, if you are not completely confused, think about racing "at a later date". If you want to race now, get this book, read it, and GO!! Ten bucks plus postage from Sam Hunter 2913 Brett Circle Acworth, GA 30101 Money and time well spent!