Bethwaite F. High Performance Sailing

Camden, ME: International Marine Publishing Company, 1993. — 431 p. — ISBN: 0-87742-419-5."Nothing could be more different than downwind speeds of 6 knots and 12 knots. But I have watched helm after helm settle for 6 because it never occurred to them that 12 was available. This ‘mindset’ — the conviction that there is only one best way to handle a boat and that we already know it — appears to affect the crews of all classes, from dinghies to 12-Metres. So often, what holds us back from achieving what we want to achieve is our own rigidity of thinking. The purpose of this book is to open a few windows. ”
The text above, demonstrates Frank Bethwaite’s original and innovative concept of yacht racing today. This book is the result of many years painstaking research and his intuitive deductions will influence almost every aspect of the sport. During the past two decades there has been a revolution in the way some Australian skiff-class designers and sailors have thought about, designed, built and sailed their boats. These classes are free from all restrictions and so create an environment in which new materials and technology can be tried, developed and optimised. The combined effect of these changes has been to achieve a spectacular increase in performance.
This book is about the new ideas which have led to these greater speeds and the faster sailing techniques which have been developed to achieve them.
In suitable conditions some high performance boats can now sail around a course at an average speed faster than the wind. The new ideas and handling techniques which have developed around these boats are proving faster when applied to conventional boats also. This spin-off can help everybody sail faster.
Part One is about the wind in all its many diverse forms. The detailed reasoning for its behaviour, according to prevailing weather systems and localised influences, enable the reader to predict the most likely patterns that will occur and thence to plan the most effective winning strategy on any course in the world. The precise detail allows for the maximum advantage to be taken as conditions change throughout the duration of a race.
Part Two concerns the water, its currents and waves and the most effective way to utilize and handle the surface conditions as they occur.
Part Three contains the startling results of the development and massive improvements that can be made to every part of the boat, from rudders to masts and sails to hulls. It is within this part of the book that the reasons behind the enormous increases in boat speed that have been achieved are fully explained.
Part Four combines the revelations of the first three parts and takes a detailed look at how to achieve the best performance in every conceivable situation of wind, water, boat and point of sailing. This entirely original approach takes much of the chance-element out of racing by its careful evaluation of circumstances and skilful graphic portrayals that help lock the solutions into the racing mind. It includes a great deal of observation by many world and Olympic champions.