The learn-to-sail book for when you are in a hurry to gain your sea legs At the Offshore Sailing School, the Colgates have taught more than 100,000 adults how to sail. Now they are making their proven instructional methods available to you so you can fulfill your sailing dreams in little time. Though designed around three days of intensive instruction, the book adapts easily to any learning pace. You can master the fundamentals in three days--or over a summer of leisurely sailing.

Learn how to handle a cruising sailboat in as little as seven days—even if you’ve never sailed before! Who says you have to be an experienced daysailor before you can think about cruising? Steve and Doris Colgate know that most of us don’t have that kind of time. At the Offshore Sailing School, the Colgates have helped more than 100,000 adults—three-quarters of whom started as beginning sailors or complete newcomers--take the helm of a midsize cruising sailboat. Now Fast Track to Cruising offers these proven instructional methods to all aspiring sailors with big dreams and little time. This is the very first guide that teaches sailing and cruising together, taking you from your first sail to independent cruising in one leap. You can make that leap in as little as seven days—as in the Colgates’ “Fast Track to Cruising” course—or you can get there at a more leisurely pace. Either way, no other book will take you from your first tacking or docking maneuver to a mastery of navigation and diesel engines as efficiently as this one. "America's most experienced sailing instructors present a thorough and easy to understand look at cruising. Leisure time is precious. Safety is paramount. The Colgates will help you maximize your time on the water."--Gary Jobson, ESPN's lead sailing analyst and editor at large for Cruising World and Sailing World “Doris and Steve Colgate understand that people want to reach their sailing goals as quickly as possible and they've built the excellent Fast Track program to accomplish it.”--Bernadette Bernon, former editorial director of Cruising World magazine "Together Steve and Doris Colgate have been teaching beginners to sail for over half a century. In Fast Track to Cruising they have included every concept and procedure you need to get yourself from a want-to-be sailor to one who is knowledgeable and competent to take the helm--with confidence and a smile."--Charles Mason, Executive Editor, SAIL magazine

From a racing master, all the knowledge you need to make your boat go faster and safer in any condition In Performance Sailing and Racing, Steve Colgate explains how to improve your sailing and push your boat to higher but safer speeds. He shows you how get your boat to perform as it was designed--with grace and an ease of motion--and to sail at a fast speed that can get you out of situations more quickly and arrive at your destination sooner. Used as one of the text books at the many branches of the Colgate Sailing School, Performance Sailing and Racing will help you get started in racing and improve as you learn. Even veteran sailors will pick up some new tips and tricks to becoming a successful racer. End-of-chapter quizzes reinforce what you learn so you can use your knowledge confidently on the water. Sail faster and smarter: Get the picture with clear, colorful photos and graphics Master vital topics relating to boat speed--sail trim, sheet lead angles, steering differences in light and heavy air Learn even those daunting topics, including using a spinnaker and understanding polar diagrams With this master teacher's wisdom on all the factors that make your boat sail better, you'll win the next race or just blow past the other boats in the outer harbor.

The official learn-to-sail manual of the American Sailing Association and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, with over 150 line drawings and photographs. Written by America’s foremost instructional authority, the new edition of Sailing Fundamentals combines the training programs of the American Sailing Association and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. The official learn-to-sail manual of the American Sailing Association, it is also used in the programs of many yacht clubs, colleges, and sailing groups. Unlike most introductory sailing books, which reflect the biases and idiosyncrasies of their authors, Sailing Fundamentals has been extensively pretested by ASA professional instructors to ensure that it offers the fastest, easiest, most systematic way to learn basic sailing and basic coastal cruising. This book covers every aspect of beginning sailing—from hoisting sail to docking and anchoring—and specifically prepares the learner to qualify for sailing certification according to international standards. Widely acclaimed author Gary Jobson has won several major races, including the 1977 America’s Cup victory as tactician aboard Courageous. He was head sailing coach at the US Naval Academy, and has conducted sailing clinics across the country.

In a book that is sure to become a classic, internationally respected boatbuilder, yacht manager, and delivery skipper Bill Seifert shares his hard-won solutions to a host of boat design, construction, and equipment issues and seamanship dilemmas. Unlike other books on the subject, Offshore Sailing doesn’t just tell readers what to do for safe and comfortable passage making; it shows them how to do it with clear, step-by-step instructions and nearly 200 detailed drawings and photographs.

One of the best guides ever written for the novice sailor. Expert coverage of boat selection, mooring, knots, bending and hoisting sail, much more. 111 black-and-white figures.

The world's largest sailing school offers the techniques it has perfected to help beginners become skilled sailors.