The Instant Handbook of Boat Handling, Navigation, and Seamanship

Niger Calder is the author of Marine Diesel Engines (1987, 1991) and Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual (1989, 1995), the success of which has made him the most sought-after marine how-to writer in the U.S. and U.K. He has published more than 800 magazine articles in SAIL, Cruising World, Ocean Navigator, Yachting World, etc., and lectures on cruising to sell-out crowds. He is also the author of The Cruising Guide to The Northwest Caribbean (IM, 1991) and Cuba: A Cruising Guide (Imray, 1996). He will be testing his newest ideas with his family during a six-month cruise to the Caribbean and South America this winter.

John Rousmaniere is a national authority on sailing and seamanship, a household name among boaters, and a first-rate writer by any standard. He is the author of 18 books, including Fastnet, Force 10 (W.W. Norton), which has sold nearly 100,000 copies since 1980, and The Annapolis Book of Seamanship (Simon & Schuster), which is considered the standard work on seamanship under sail and has sold 250,000 copies since 1983. His other titles include a history of yachting, The Golden Pastime (W.W. Norton), two histories of the America's Cup race, and a history of the yacht America. He wrote the navigation section of the Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia and compiled the Illustrated Dictionary of Boating Terms (W.W. Norton, 1998). He has written the histories of institutions such as Columbia University, The Equitable Life Assurance Company, and the law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell. He lectures at Safety-at-Sea seminars across the country, writes a column on seamanship for the online magazine SailNet (www.sailnet.com), and regularly publishes articles in the boating press. He has been interviewed on the Learning Channel, A&E, and CNN. He has sailed more than 35,000 miles, including three Atlantic crossings. He holds a master's in history from Columbia University and a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological. HOMETOWN: Stamford, CT

Bill Gladstone is the director of North U, a division of North Sails, Inc. North Sails has become the world leader in sailmaking through an ongoing commitment to making sails faster, lighter and longer lasting. North Sails produces more cruising sails to higher standards of performance and durability than any other sailmaker in the world. The company also provides sailing courses through its popular North U. instructional seminars. These courses emphasize practical, proven techniques used by today's leading sailors. Hometown: Madison, CT

Bob Sweet has more than 30 years of experience in the technology and electronics markets and 30 years of boating experience. He has held engineering and senior executive management positions with a number of companies including GTE, Harris, ABA Industries, Inframetrics and Elbit Systems - the last three at the President and CEO level. He has both BS and MS degrees in electrical engineering from Penn State. He started his career as a radar and communications system engineer and, throughout his career, gained extensive experience with GPS including managing a corporate business unit that developed major portions of GPS for the Air Force. More recently, Bob was instrumental in the boating education for the Power Squadrons in Southeastern New England. HOMETOWN: East Falmouth, MA

Peter Nielsen,editor of SAIL Magazine, was previously editor of Yachting Monthly magazine in the UK. An experienced sailor who has cruised and raced worldwide, he is also the author Sailpower: Trim & Techniques for Cruising Sailors (2004). Hometown: Marblehead, MA