Ready, set, go : time to start sailing -- Knowing where you can learn : classes and sailing schools -- Planning ahead : what to wear and what to bring -- Before you leave the dock -- Going sailing : just the basics, please -- Leaving the dock (and coming back) -- Safety : one hand for the boat, one hand for yourself -- All about weather : red sky at night -- Navigation : holding your course -- Anchors away : anchoring your boat -- The need for speed : sailing fast -- Trimming your sails for speed -- Kiteboarding and windsurfing -- Racing sailboats : going for the gold -- Encountering sailing emergencies (and how to handle them) -- Caring for your craft -- Cruising with children -- Chartering : changes in latitude -- Sailing sailboards -- Ten nautical knots and how to tie them -- Ten questions to ask yourself when buying a sailboat -- Glossary -- First aid afloat -- The physics of sailing : understanding how sailboats work.