“Ocean racing can be anything you choose to make it, from the occasional jaunt offshore, to a way of life. The driving of small fast-cruising type yachts for great distances at sustained top speeds sets a whole series of special problems in design, equipment, preparation, crewing and navigation.
The point is, that every part of sailing has a special ocean racing aspect. And to those of you who have not tried racing off shore I would tell you that my first race was great fun; and that since then in each year in which I have had the good fortune to get to sea for ocean racing, I enjoy it a little bit more. Your summer will be a full round of high endeavour, interspersed with that special sort of relaxation which follows an all-out effort.”
(While yacht design, sails, spars and navigation have all changed enormously, Illingworth’s 318-page book on offshore racing – written more than 70 years ago – remains perhaps the most detailed single reference for the sport).
Captain J.H.Illingworth, R.N. – Offshore (1949)
