In the 1920s, sailing experienced a tremendous surge in popularity. This was primarily due to the rise of small boat sailing, which involved sailing on small vessels, often dinghies or keelboats. Anyone with talent and enthusiasm could engage in this sport, which had previously been completely inaccessible to the general public. The self-construction of boats boomed, but genuine sailing instructions were initially lacking. This gap was addressed by the well-known author and competitive sailor Harry Meville with this book, which gained widespread popularity and taught entire generations how to sail. Even today, the book is educational, as it imparts specialized knowledge about sailing on traditionally rigged boats, which is no longer taught in the same way.