A Woman's Guide to the World of Sailing: The Dreams and Realities of Cruising, Crossing, and Competitive Racing

Jane Golden has been a sailor for most of her life, beginning with some raucous experiences as a young adult volunteer crew member on other people's sailboats. Fast forward and she was cruising the Gulf Coast with family and friends on her own boat, Gypsy Lady.

After an enjoyable description of her Gulf Coast experiences, Jane ventures to Europe where she first charter sailed with friends, and later crosses the Atlantic Ocean as a crewmember for the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers. She goes into great depth about the positives and negatives of such events; including how they are organized, the peculiarities and politics of such events, and what it was like to be a part of the crew on a transatlantic crossing.

Finally, she writes about the very enjoyable experiences supporting Gypsy Lady and her family's participation in the annual Regata al Sol from Pensacola to Mexico, a regional yacht club race that began in the early '60s. The descriptions of the Regata al Sol event founder, and the post-race celebrations, are a treasure trove of details that would make anyone want to participate in the race and the festivities.

Jane gives us a compelling look at her experiences as a woman in the world of sailing, and great descriptions of the various kinds of sailing, racing, and cruising in which she has participated. Her book informs, instructs, and entertains.