In June 2009, Caspar and Nichola created a plan to sail around the world with their young children. Most people thought they were crazy. But over the past seven years they've embraced every moment of this momentous chapter of their lives. Five years of planning – the vision, the values, the practicalities, the realities, the excitement, the highs, the lows and the seemingly adventure-stopping obstacles – led to two wonderful years of living their dream – the magical and the scary; enjoying life and learning as a family. This is Caspar's story. It's a story of a fabulous sailing adventure but it's also so much more than that – it's an inspirational tale for all those wishing they could do the same; it's a practical guide to show you just how you can make it happen; it's a motivational story of leadership and teamwork within a family; and it's a funny, heart-warming tale of slightly unconventional family life. The fascinating narrative of Caspar's story is accompanied by useful text features such as tip boxes, sidebars and chapter summaries, so that the reader can easily extrapolate the necessary nuggets about how they can make the dream a reality.

Sailing Made Easy is the first step in a voyage that will last you the rest of your life. It is a gift from a group of dedicated sailing professionals who have committed their lives to sharing their art, their skill, and their passion for this wonderful activity. This book, which Sailing Magazine called "best in class" upon its release in 2010, is the most comprehensive education and boating safety learn-to-sail guide to date. It is also the official textbook for the ASA Basic Keelboat Standard (ASA 101). Incorporated in the textbook are useful illustrations and exceptional photographs of complex sailing concepts. The text’s most distinguishing feature is its user friendly "spreads" in which instructional topics are self-contained on opposing pages throughout the book. There are also chapter end quizzes and a glossary to help those new to sailing to navigate their way through the extensive nautical terminology.

From the eye of a world-class sailor through the lens of a world-class photographer, this grand-scale book takes the reader on a voyage around the world, capturing the joy, excitement, and serenity of sailing. As a professional sailor, Onne van der Wal has skippered boats of many kinds, raced yachts in every climate, and crossed the Atlantic more than ten times. When Olympus Cameras gave him a camera to document his Dutch team’s Whitbread Round the World Race in 1981, he discovered his second passion: photography. Over a lifetime devoted to sailing, van der Wal has accrued an unparalleled archive of the most evocative and beautiful photography of the pursuit in all its varied forms, from classic yacht racing around Newport, R.I., to beautiful schooners drifting outside St. Tropez, and from peaceful catamaran expeditions through the silent Antarctic to intense Grand Prix races around the coast of Australia. No other photographer has the experience to shoot so well on board a speeding yacht or the confidence to scale a mast for the right panoramic view; and no other sailor has captured the extremes of the excitement, competition, peace, and mystery the sport affords. This lavishly illustrated volume—with nearly 200 color photographs and several gatefolds of glorious panoramic images—is a celebration of the nautical lifestyle and a love letter to a pursuit that is so much more than a pastime for all those lucky enough to enjoy it.

CHAPTER 1. Loomings. Call me Ishmael. Some years ago—never mind how long precisely—having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and regulating the circulation. Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people’s hats off—then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can. This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship. There is nothing surprising in this. If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feelings towards the ocean with me.

Des Townson was a yacht designer and boatbuilder who possessed an analytical mind, an innate feel for sailing boats and a wonderful eye for their visual balance. During a five decade long design career he produced some of the most eye-catching, easily handled and well performing maritime craft to ever grace New Zealand waters. The fact he was self-taught and worked almost his entire career alone only intensifies the achievements of this remarkable man. His own recollections and those of his family, close friends and associates combined with photos, boat plans and press reports, ensure a detailed record of his impact on the New Zealand sailing scene is preserved. Des Townson's legacy continues to this day through the thousands of yachts still bearing his name.

The Optimist is the most popular junior sailing class worldwide, with thousands of young people actively racing them and hundreds attending the major events in the class. It has been the nursery for most of the top racing sailors in the world including all the Team GBR gold medallists at the last 2 Olympics (Sir Ben Ainslie, Hannah Mills, Saskia Clark and Giles Scott) – the same will be true for most other countries. Optimist Racing is written for those sailors, parents and coaches who are looking for success in this competitive class. In it you will learn what it takes to win, including how to achieve blistering boatspeed through technique and tuning, perfect boat handling and tactics as well as covering the mental and physical requirements for success. There is also a section for parents and coaches describing how they can best support their young sailors. Originally written by Ben Ainslie's Optimist coach, Phil Slater, this new edition has been completely updated by top international racing coach, Steve Irish, who can be found coaching Optimist and other sailors worldwide. This book is the up-to-date handbook for sailing an Optimist fast.