This fascinating tour through the magic of sailing will improve your skills while it satisfies your curiosity

By what alchemy do rudder, sail and keel transform air into motion? How does a boat sail into the wind, how mediate between water and wind? How is it that a keel provides “lift” and why is a boat not tipped by the wind? Why do some boats plane while others plow, and for that matter, how does such a contraption float in the first place? The Science of Sailing answers these questions and more.