North U racing and trim CDs and books.

I have googled and googled and all I can find about these CD courses are ads for where to buy the stuff. There are 4 products I am curious about, Racing and Trim CD and Book (that's 4). Does anyone know if these are any good? I have read fair a number of books and of raced a little (6-1st, 12-2nd, 1-3rd, 1-almost last). I am looking for some winter study material but I don't want to waste my money on anything like some of the DVDs that Netflix offers. The stuff I am talking about are the 4 parts of number 140 on the page below http://www.northu.com/nu/NU_catalog.taf?_function=list&category=21 So, I thought I would ask this knowledgeable group of accomplished sailors and see if anyone has an opinion. (Who said if you ask 4 sailors for an opinion you will get 5 different answers?) Allen

I took both the North U Smart and Fast courses 20+ years ago and I still look at the notebooks from time to time. They were quite good. The ones I have included good diagrams that make clear relationships in sail adjustments and the like. I would imagine that they have been updated considerably and probably improved. I am curious what other people think are good sailing books to read on both speed and strategy. I have on my shelf and recommend: Sail Like a Champion, Dennis Conner Championship Tactics, Gary Jobson & Tom Whidden And I struck paydirt at Powell¹s books in Portland and found a used copy of Stuart Walker¹s Advanced Racing Tactics published in 1976. I am curious what others like/recommend. I am ready to read another good sailing book. Terry Spencer Cal 2-29 Capriccio Tacoma, WA From: Allen Edwards <al… [at] PaloAltoPhoto.com> Reply-To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Date: Sat, 5 Dec 2009 20:30:25 -0800 To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Subject: [Cal_Boats] North U racing and trim CDs and books. I have googled and googled and all I can find about these CD courses are ads for where to buy the stuff. There are 4 products I am curious about, Racing and Trim CD and Book (that's 4). Does anyone know if these are any good? I have read fair a number of books and of raced a little (6-1st, 12-2nd, 1-3rd, 1-almost last). I am looking for some winter study material but I don't want to waste my money on anything like some of the DVDs that Netflix offers. The stuff I am talking about are the 4 parts of number 140 on the page below http://www.northu.com/nu/NU_catalog.taf?_function=list&category=21 <http://www.northu.com/nu/NU_catalog.taf?_function=list&amp;category=21> So, I thought I would ask this knowledgeable group of accomplished sailors and see if anyone has an opinion. (Who said if you ask 4 sailors for an opinion you will get 5 different answers?) Allen

Thanks for the comments on the courses. On books I like Championship Tactics that you like and also, "Getting Started in Sail Boat Racing" by Cort and Stearns which is much better than the title suggests. Then there is A Manual of Sail Trim, which I defy anyone to read and understand. It is supposed to be the bible of sail trim but is unreadable as far as I am concerned. Is this the book you like: http://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Racing-Tactics-Norton-Nautical/dp/0393303330? <http://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Racing-Tactics-Norton-Nautical/dp/0393303330> Allen On Sun, Dec 6, 2009 at 4:41 PM, Terrence Spencer <ts… [at] harbornet.com>wrote: > > > I took both the North U Smart and Fast courses 20+ years ago and I still > look at the notebooks from time to time. They were quite good. The ones I > have included good diagrams that make clear relationships in sail > adjustments and the like. I would imagine that they have been updated > considerably and probably improved. I am curious what other people think > are good sailing books to read on both speed and strategy. > > I have on my shelf and recommend: > Sail Like a Champion, Dennis Conner > Championship Tactics, Gary Jobson & Tom Whidden > And I struck paydirt at Powell’s books in Portland and found a used copy of > Stuart Walker’s Advanced Racing Tactics published in 1976. > > I am curious what others like/recommend. I am ready to read another good > sailing book. > > Terry Spencer > Cal 2-29 > Capriccio > Tacoma, WA > > ------------------------------ > *From: *Allen Edwards <al… [at] PaloAltoPhoto.com> > *Reply-To: *Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com > *Date: *Sat, 5 Dec 2009 20:30:25 -0800 > *To: *Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com > *Subject: *[Cal_Boats] North U racing and trim CDs and books. > > > > > > > I have googled and googled and all I can find about these CD courses are > ads for where to buy the stuff. There are 4 products I am curious about, > Racing and Trim CD and Book (that's 4). Does anyone know if these are any > good? I have read fair a number of books and of raced a little (6-1st, > 12-2nd, 1-3rd, 1-almost last). I am looking for some winter study material > but I don't want to waste my money on anything like some of the DVDs that > Netflix offers. > > The stuff I am talking about are the 4 parts of number 140 on the page > below > http://www.northu.com/nu/NU_catalog.taf?_function=list&category=21 > <http://www.northu.com/nu/NU_catalog.taf?_function=list&amp;category=21><http://www.northu.com/nu/NU_catalog.taf?_function=list&category=21> > > So, I thought I would ask this knowledgeable group of accomplished sailors > and see if anyone has an opinion. (Who said if you ask 4 sailors for an > opinion you will get 5 different answers?) > > Allen > > > > > > > > >

Yes that is the book by Stuart Walker I was referring to. The reviewer who said his treatise is a bit obscured by jargon, is correct. He is not the best writer, but Walker also presents some strategies I haven¹t seen many other places, particularly about starting and ³changing gears². Terry From: Allen Edwards <al… [at] PaloAltoPhoto.com> Reply-To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Date: Sun, 6 Dec 2009 19:30:32 -0800 To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Was North U books plus other sailing books Thanks for the comments on the courses. On books I like Championship Tactics that you like and also, "Getting Started in Sail Boat Racing" by Cort and Stearns which is much better than the title suggests. Then there is A Manual of Sail Trim, which I defy anyone to read and understand. It is supposed to be the bible of sail trim but is unreadable as far as I am concerned. Is this the book you like: http://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Racing-Tactics-Norton-Nautical/dp/03933 03330? <http://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Racing-Tactics-Norton-Nautical/dp/039330333 0> Allen On Sun, Dec 6, 2009 at 4:41 PM, Terrence Spencer <ts… [at] harbornet.com> wrote: > > > > > > I took both the North U Smart and Fast courses 20+ years ago and I still look > at the notebooks from time to time. They were quite good. The ones I have > included good diagrams that make clear relationships in sail adjustments and > the like. I would imagine that they have been updated considerably and > probably improved. I am curious what other people think are good sailing > books to read on both speed and strategy. > > I have on my shelf and recommend: > Sail Like a Champion, Dennis Conner > Championship Tactics, Gary Jobson & Tom Whidden > And I struck paydirt at Powell¹s books in Portland and found a used copy of > Stuart Walker¹s Advanced Racing Tactics published in 1976. > > I am curious what others like/recommend. I am ready to read another good > sailing book. > > Terry Spencer > Cal 2-29 > Capriccio > Tacoma, WA > > > From: Allen Edwards <al… [at] PaloAltoPhoto.com> > Reply-To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com > Date: Sat, 5 Dec 2009 20:30:25 -0800 > To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com > Subject: [Cal_Boats] North U racing and trim CDs and books. > > > > > > > I have googled and googled and all I can find about these CD courses are ads > for where to buy the stuff. There are 4 products I am curious about, Racing > and Trim CD and Book (that's 4). Does anyone know if these are any good? I > have read fair a number of books and of raced a little (6-1st, 12-2nd, 1-3rd, > 1-almost last). I am looking for some winter study material but I don't want > to waste my money on anything like some of the DVDs that Netflix offers. > > The stuff I am talking about are the 4 parts of number 140 on the page below > http://www.northu.com/nu/NU_catalog.taf?_function=list&category=21 > <http://www.northu.com/nu/NU_catalog.taf?_function=list&amp;category=21> > <http://www.northu.com/nu/NU_catalog.taf?_function=list&amp;category=21> > > So, I thought I would ask this knowledgeable group of accomplished sailors and > see if anyone has an opinion. (Who said if you ask 4 sailors for an opinion > you will get 5 different answers?) > > Allen > > > > > > > > > > >

Stuart Walker wrote an article for "Yacht Racing and Cruising" that I read and then won a GYA Capedevielle race by using the strategy he espoused in his article. I was the third boat in close pursuit to two other boats approaching the leeward mark. Ordinarily, I would have stayed tight to these two boats trying to shadow them and gain ground. Instead. I headed down-wind and slowed our boat giving about a two boat separation between my boat and the two boats battling for position at the mark. As Stuart said would happen, the close battle for position carried the two leaders wide of the leeward mark while we doused our spinnaker a few seconds early and rounded up to weather inside the gap left by the leaders. Neither boat was ever able to overcome our inside position after we covered every tack they made to the finish line. Race was sailed in Flying Scots, the interclub competition boat of the GYA. Stuart Walker rules! Donald Dutton, 1986 Cal 33-2, "Quantum Evolution" "Twenty Years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the things you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." ........Mark Twain From: Terrence Spencer <ts… [at] harbornet.com> To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Sent: Mon, December 7, 2009 6:12:53 AM Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Was North U books plus other sailing books Yes that is the book by Stuart Walker I was referring to. The reviewer who said his treatise is a bit obscured by jargon, is correct. He is not the best writer, but Walker also presents some strategies I haven’t seen many other places, particularly about starting and “changing gears”. Terry From: Allen Edwards <allen.edwards@ PaloAltoPhoto. com> Reply-To: Cal_Boats@yahoogrou ps.com Date: Sun, 6 Dec 2009 19:30:32 -0800 To: Cal_Boats@yahoogrou ps.com Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Was North U books plus other sailing books Thanks for the comments on the courses. On books I like Championship Tactics that you like and also, "Getting Started in Sail Boat Racing" by Cort and Stearns which is much better than the title suggests. Then there is A Manual of Sail Trim, which I defy anyone to read and understand. It is supposed to be the bible of sail trim but is unreadable as far as I am concerned. Is this the book you like: http://www.amazon. com/Advanced- Racing-Tactics- Norton-Nautical/ dp/0393303330? <http://www.amazon. com/Advanced- Racing-Tactics- Norton-Nautical/ dp/0393303330> Allen On Sun, Dec 6, 2009 at 4:41 PM, Terrence Spencer <tspencer@harbornet. com> wrote: >> >> >> > >>I took both the North U Smart and Fast courses 20+ years ago and I still look at the notebooks from time to time. They were quite good. The ones I have included good diagrams that make clear relationships in sail adjustments and the like. I would imagine that they have been updated considerably and probably improved. I am curious what other people think are good sailing books to read on both speed and strategy. > >>I have on my shelf and recommend: >>Sail Like a Champion, Dennis Conner >>Championship Tactics, Gary Jobson & Tom Whidden >>And I struck paydirt at Powell’s books in Portland and found a used copy of Stuart Walker’s Advanced Racing Tactics published in 1976. > >>I am curious what others like/recommend. I am ready to read another good sailing book. > >>Terry Spencer >>Cal 2-29 >>Capriccio >>Tacoma, WA > >________________________________ From: Allen Edwards <allen.edwards@ PaloAltoPhoto. com> >Reply-To: Cal_Boats@yahoogrou ps.com >Date: Sat, 5 Dec 2009 20:30:25 -0800 >To: Cal_Boats@yahoogrou ps.com >Subject: [Cal_Boats] North U racing and trim CDs and books. > >> >> >> >> > >>I have googled and googled and all I can find about these CD courses are ads for where to buy the stuff. There are 4 products I am curious about, Racing and Trim CD and Book (that's 4). Does anyone know if these are any good? I have read fair a number of books and of raced a little (6-1st, 12-2nd, 1-3rd, 1-almost last). I am looking for some winter study material but I don't want to waste my money on anything like some of the DVDs that Netflix offers. > >>The stuff I am talking about are the 4 parts of number 140 on the page below >http://www.northu. com/nu/NU_ catalog.taf? _function= list&category=21 <http://www.northu. com/nu/NU_ catalog.taf? _function= list&amp;category= 21> <http://www.northu. com/nu/NU_ catalog.taf? _function= list&amp;category= 21> > >>So, I thought I would ask this knowledgeable group of accomplished sailors and see if anyone has an opinion. (Who said if you ask 4 sailors for an opinion you will get 5 different answers?) > >>Allen > > > >> >> > > > >> >> >> >

On Mon, Dec 7, 2009 at 6:12 AM, Terrence Spencer <ts… [at] harbornet.com>wrote: > > > Yes that is the book by Stuart Walker I was referring to. The reviewer who > said his treatise is a bit obscured by jargon, is correct. He is not the > best writer, but Walker also presents some strategies I haven’t seen many > other places, particularly about starting and “changing gears”. > > Terry > > I ordered the book. Oh, wow. I just re-read your note about "changing gears" and it made me think about "A Manual of Sail Trim" an almost completely unreadable book on, well, sail trim. Turns out it is written by Stuart Walker. I sure hope the new one is easier to read than the one I have. I have read this one several times and still have not gotten anything useful out of it. I guess I will find out soon enough. Allen