A colorful and exciting look at the world of sailing. After a solid chapter on the history of yachting featuring a good chronology from the early 17th century to the present, there is a chapter on cruising, followed by another thorough chapter on offshore racing. Also covered are the America's Cup races, inshore racing, and the Olympic Games. Most of these sections also include historical statistical lists. A keelboat and dinghy section provides color drawings of the various classes and pertinent design features as well as dates they were designed, etc. The book concludes with a detailed series of mini-charts of popular sailing areas around the world. It is particularly valuable as a reference source for the statistical information and diagrams of race courses and sailing areas provided. There are also beautiful color photographs and illustrations.