Sail, Race and Win was ahead of its time. Still fresh and relevant, this book is our pick of all the sailing books we read to research this site, both for enjoyment and for sailing racing education.
- What the Author/Publisher Says
- What we thought of Sail, Race and Win
- Where can you buy Sail, Race and Win?
What The Author/Publisher Says About Sail, Race and Win
“Teach yourself to win” is the first chapter in this unique study of the psychology of dinghy and yacht racing. the theme runs through the book, with the emphasis on self-instruction in any size of boat, when the object is to cross the line before all the other sailors.
The reason why helmsmen lose is examined first, then a plan of attack to improve racing performance is offered to the reader. Learning and coaching systems in fast and tactical sailing follow with recommendations towards perfection in the smallest detail.
Every aspect of self-coaching is explained including physical fitness, mental attitude, racing in pairs, how to handle crises and preparing for major events.
SAIL, RACE AND WIN is intended to move you up the fleet. It highlights the important attitude of individuals, both helmsman and crew to racing, which is at least equal, perhaps more important, than the acquisition of the best in design, hardware and technology.
What we thought of Sail, Race and Win
I don’t think the above description really does justice to this book.
Put simply: if I could only choose one book of all the ones I have read (so far) for the research on this site, then this would be the one that got me thinking the most about my sailing, the one I most enjoyed reading, and the one that probably helped me focus most on improving my performance.
Eric Twiname had (and still has) a fantastic reputation as a great thinker regarding racing boats. This book shows why. The thought processes are clear, the writing is good, and the stories and analogies to demonstrate his points are accurate, interesting and thought provoking.
On top of this, he was ahead of his time. He writes about the mental side of sailing in a way that is still relevant and fresh, and he is very un-technical in his language, enabling sailors of all abilities to read, understand and (most importantly) implement these concepts.
This is a wonderful book by a brilliant sailor and author. There aren’t all that many copies of it still around, so get your hands on a copy while you still can.