How to Choose the Right Yacht

Publisher: Adlard Coles Nautical, £10.99

Publication Date: 2nd Ed, 2006

CA Library Reference:16729

As a primer for understanding yacht hull design this reissued 1991 book is exemplary but I found the idiom of the translation from German a little difficult to cope with occasionally. Fifteen years after its first publication, I feel that the book could have benefited from some revision or editing.

I would have preferred the title ‘An Introduction to Yacht Hull Design’. ‘Hull design’ because Rig design is covered in only 4 pages of the 101 page total and is far from comprehensive, for example there is no mention, and therefore no comment, on unstayed rigs such as the Aerorig®, Cat rigs or Junk rigs. Nor is there any comment on newer materials for either hull or masts such as carbon fibre.

One would therefore also need to read a separate book on Rig design, such as Henderson’s ‘Understanding Rigs & Rigging’ (even more dated!) to help one choose the ‘right yacht’.

Statements such as, when referring to the masthead rig, ‘it has proved itself right up to the present time and is still in use’ are simply no longer historically true. Present time should have been changed to ‘the 1990s’, even though the statement might still be true! as the book does reflect the author’s views of that period and it has not been brought up-to-date in either literary style or materially. However, it does introduce many aspects of hull design which are well outside the normal experience of yachtsmen and for that reason makes good educational reading. –IG