A practical vintage sailing book bundle for anyone who likes boats, racing strategy, yacht classes, and old-school nautical reference.
This set pairs a hefty hardcover sailboat class guide with a softcover racing manual full of tactics, rules, drawings, and photographs.
Not perfect, but definitely useful — the kind of books that look right at home near a lake house shelf, workshop table, or sailor’s reading chair.
Quick Specs
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Genre: Vintage Nautical Reference, Sailing, Boating, Yacht Racing
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Authors/Editors: Rhonda Budd, editor; Hervey Garrett Smith
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Publishers: Prentice-Hall; Doubleday & Company, Inc.
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Year: Sailing Boats of the World — 1974; The Racing Sailor’s Bible — 1972
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Edition: The Racing Sailor’s Bible — First Edition stated;
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Format: One hardcover with dust jacket + one softcover paperback
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Dust Jacket: Yes — present on Sailing Boats of the World; no dust jacket issued for softcover
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Pages: Sailing Boats of the World — 1,237 pages; The Racing Sailor’s Bible — 168 pages
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Dimensions: Hardcover: 9 x 6 x 3 in.; Softcover: 10 x 8 x .25 in.
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Cover: Hardcover has a bright blue cloth cover under a color pictorial dust jacket; softcover has a blue sailing cover with colorful racing sails and original $2.50 price circle
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Special Features: Over 1,800 sailboat classes listed in the hardcover; line drawings, specifications, supplier information, indexed reference format, color yachting photograph section, racing tactics, glossary, rules, and black-and-white sailing photographs
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ISBN: Sailing Boats of the World — 013786129X; The Racing Sailor’s Bible — 0385053185
Condition Grade: Good
Notes: Two-book vintage sailing bundle with solid reference value and visible age/use. Sailing Boats of the World has a bright blue hardcover beneath the dust jacket, with illustrated pages clean enough for practical use. The dust jacket shows wear, rubbing, edge wear, creasing, and age toning. The binding is split, but all pages are firmly attached. There is pencil writing on the contents page. Page edges show age toning. The Racing Sailor’s Bible softcover shows cover wear, rubbing, corner/edge wear, surface marks, and small creases. Interior pages appear readable with typical age toning. Both books are sold together as a usable vintage nautical reference bundle.
See all photos for detail — sold as pictured.
Condition Grade Key:
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Near Fine: Almost perfect. Very minor signs of age only.
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Very Good: Shows light use. Sound and attractive with minor flaws.
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Good: Complete and intact. Noticeable wear consistent with age and use.
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Fair: Shows significant wear. Readable and collectible but clearly used.
Collector’s Notes
This bundle has real working-book energy — part sailor’s desk reference, part 1970s boating time capsule.
Sailing Boats of the World is the hefty one, with class listings, drawings, specs, supplier notes, and that wonderfully serious “let’s index every sailboat we can find” attitude.
The Racing Sailor’s Bible adds the practical racing side: tuning, crew, weather, starts, windward marks, rules, and tactics.
A good fit for sailors, nautical collectors, lake house shelves, or anyone who likes their reference books with salt air in the margins.
A useful vintage sailing bundle with character, not showroom perfection — and honestly, that feels about right for books that belong near boats.
Shipping + Trust (Reading Vintage standards)
- Photo-verified condition (no surprises)
- Packed with our protective packaging standard
- Ships in 1 business day
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Disclaimer
All items are vintage and may show signs of age, wear, or use consistent with their history. Photos show the exact condition of each piece—please review them carefully, as they are part of the description.
Care and Handling:
Handle with clean, dry hands. Store upright, out of direct sunlight, at about 68°F and 40–50% relative humidity. Avoid damp areas and extreme temperature swings. Please note: If you have any questions
