Books on sail trimming

[theriel]

Hello,
I have been looking for a book on sail trimming.

So far I have come across the following books mentioned on various fora (including ybw):
1.Ym Sailpower (Peter Nielson)
2.North U Racing Trim (Bill Gladstone)
3.Sail Trim and Rig Tuning: A Captain's Quick Guide (Bill Gladstone)
4.Sail and Rig Tuning (Ivar Dedekam)
5.High Performance Sailing: Faster Racing Techniques (Frank Bethwaite)
6.Sailing Strategy: Wind and Current (Ian Proctor)

Has any of you used any of these books? Is there any particular book which you would recommend on rig and sail trimming? Obviously, I am interested in sea sailing, not dinghies etc.

P.S. Is does need to be quite up to date. 1970s recommendations have little to do with modern rigs, types of sails etc. I am not interested in a very general and brief info on trimming they teach on day skipper courses.

Thank you for help!
Theriel

 

[crisjones]

I have YM Sail Power on board and I think it is excellent, giving advice that will probably take a beginner through to club racing standard. Well written with plenty of diagrams and photos to explain things. No experience of any others in your list.

I also lent this to a friend who was crewing on a trans-atlantic delivery, all the crew and even the skipper thought the book was very useful.

 

[Woodlouse]

I'd go for the Northsails book personally. Easily one of the best and complete guides I've seen.

 

[awol]

T'internet is a wonderful place! Try sailmaker's sites - they have a vested interest in making their users happy e.g. North Sails (other makes are available!)

 

[Jabamusic]

Have 2 to hand at the moment: Dedekam's which you cite and another - Sail Trim -Theory and Practice by Peter Hahne. Like with most reading, having 2 of and about the same topic helps (me) with the learning and uptake.
I actually prefer Dedekam's -cause I like the pictures !! Both are very good I thought at explaining the basics.

 

[snooks]

Having taken most of the photos for YM's sail power book, I am of course biased, but I think it's a good book. Written by a cruising sailor, for the cruising sailor.

We've got a copy of the new RYA sail trim book in the YM office, which I was having a flick through. It looks very good, a lot smaller, in thickness and size with less in depth detail than Sailpower, but it looked to be a good starting point with all the clarity and diagrams you can expect of the RYA clicky link here

 

[dt4134]

The North Sails one is very comprehensive and easy to understand.

 

[Dab]

I agree that you will find lots of resources on the internet, but to get the best out of it you will probably want to have it with you on the boat, and formatting some of the internet stuff for printing can be fiddly.

I browsed through quiet a few books and ended up buying the Dedekam one. Very clear pictures and covers rig tuning as well as sails. I think the new RYA booklet could be good as well, but didn't get a chance to have a good look inside it.

The Dedekam one is also available on Amazon for a good discount.

 

[westernman]

For all you wanted to know about sail trimming and a lot more....

John Oakely, Winning: The Boat, the Crew & the Race

An awful lot about effective sail trimming, optimised batten profiles, boat trimming, rig tuning, mast bending, spreader adjustments, hydraulic rams for moving mast foot, bendy vs stiff booms etc.

This was written by an olympic gold medalist in the Flying Dutchman class back in 1975. There is not a way of adjusting a modern rig which had not been put into practice back then.

Unless you are sailing something very different from a bermudan rigged yacht with sails (as opposed to solid wing sails, square rigged ship, junk rig), it all applies now.

 

[bryantee]

sail &rig tuning

amazon have a discount on dekadams book. one of the best at 7.99.

 

[yerffoeg]

Sil trim

Just finished reading this new book on sail trim for cruisers - very good.
http://www.rya.org.uk/shop/pages/pr...ultCatalog)&mode=t&type=BK(RYADefaultCatalog)

 

[snooks]

Just finished reading this new book on sail trim for cruisers - very good.
http://www.rya.org.uk/shop/pages/pr...ultCatalog)&mode=t&type=BK(RYADefaultCatalog)

Good to know my first impressions of it were well founded

 

[DorsetPete]

Sailmakers advice!

Msany years ago i attended a seminar given by a sillmaker.
As well as allthe usual advice given about sail shape and trimm, halyard and foot tensions one particular piece of advice really stuck in my brain!

It was about your sails tell tales....

Your sails - old or new - MUST have tell tales on them!
And you can always believe what they are telling you - because they will never lie to you!
They will ALWAYS 'droop' if there is no wind passing over them!

And its your job as the sail trimmer to make sure there always is - and ensure that every bit of the sail is working for you - not against you!!

Happy sailing

 

[Oyvind]

I have a few of the books you mention above. For a thorough understanding of how sails are made, how they work and thus how to trim them efficiently, I prefer Maximum Sail Power by Brian Hancock.