Here is my review on this book “The Complete Introduction to Laser Racing” by Ben Tan.(ISBN9971-88-759-2).
This 260 pages book is a very comprehensive book which will appeal to both novice and competent Laser sailors. There are 15 chapters, of which 8 chapters are written by the author, namely Dr Ben Tan. The rest of the chapters are contributed by other prominent Laser sailors who are champions in their own right. Steve Cockerill, a very experienced Laser sailor also contributed a chapter entitled “Preparing the Laser”.
The first chapter outlines the reasons that the Laser becomes the choice of sailors in competitive racing. Laser racing can raced competitively up to the Olympics . even the veterans races are well participated. Laser sailors can sail competitively up to older years.
The next few chapters cover the various aspects of boat rigging, sail tuning, racing techniques. A sailor can clearly understands how the boom vang (kicker) and mainsheet tension, cunningham (downhaul) and outhaul affect the sail trim. For e.g. the Cunningham affect the upper third of the sail. The middle third of the sail is controlled by the boom vang (kicker) and the lower third is determined by the outhaul. It shows the sailors how to trim the boat in different wind conditions. In light wind wind, the sail should be fuller. In strong wind, the sail should be as flat as possible to spill the wind at the top of the sail. When sailing upwind, the sailor need to hike out in order to keep the boat as flat as possible. The Laser class typically has a very large fleet. Sailors can lose or gain places within seconds of rounding the marks. Being able to pass the boats at the marks involve both superior boat handling and sound knowledge of the racing rules and a war chest of tactical tricks.
The next two chapters cover the topics; wind patterns and currents. It shows how geography and land forms affect the wind strength and how the sailors can capitalize on this knowledge to have an edge over other sailors. Tide tables give us a large-scale impression of the strength and the directions of the currents. Contour maps show the underwater topography, but do not indicate current directions. Sailors can pick these skills by spending more time on the water.
Sailing fitness and sailing nutrition is also covered. These few pages show the right exercises to develop the right muscles that will give the sailors the added tenacity to last the many races that the regatta required. Nutrition also play a big part especially before the races and during the races.
One important chapter covers the psychology behind a champion sailor. Physical fitness is imperative to last a regatta over a few days. Even more critical is the sailor’s mental preparation and mental fitness.
The author close the book with a chapter on how to plan a training program to prepare for the regattas.
Overall, the book contains many tips which the serious sailors can take home to improve their skills and bring their sailing to a higher level.
I hope you had enjoyed reading the book review.
I had enjoyed sailing very much that I had started a blog to share my experience. Here is the link to know more about Singapore sailing news, http://www.singaporesailing.com and other sailing information, http://www.goecities.com/okokkeon111.
No comments:
Post a Comment