This is the complete instructional manual for the international optimist dinghy class. The International Optimist is the largest youth one-design sailing class in the world, with 400,000 boats registered in more than 95 countries. The Winner's Guide to Optimist Sailing is the most comprehensive guide to this popular boat ever written. Its step-by-step format is perfect for young sailors, and special sections offer advice for parents and coaches.Written by champion sailors and sailing coaches Gary Jobson and Jay Kehoe, The Winner's Guide to Optimist Sailing gives you everything you need to know about: equipment, lines, and useful knots; basic sailing tips, including where to sit, how to launch and land, tacking, jibing, and rules of the road; weather awareness; more advanced sailing skills - going faster!; racing, including starts, upwind tactics, finishes, and dealing with protests; and, practicing alone or in groups Opti events, including tips for parents, plus scholastic and collegiate sailing, and the Olympics. 'A comprehensive guide for kids learning to sail and race in Optis' - Sailing World.