Posted by Andrew Craig-Bennett on July 04, 2001 at 10:30:51 from 195.93.33.188:
The Prefaces to quite a few books in the "Mariner's Library" series of economical reprints of sailimg "classics" are by Arthur Ransome, who also, I believe, helped to select the volumes for publication by Rupert Hart-Davies, who was of course his own publisher at Johnathan Cape.
The Ransome prefaces show terrific erudition about Victorian sailing, but also display a love of sailing itself and a greatly encouraging to the learner. For a sampler try the prefaces to Slocum, Knight, or McMullen.