Reddit reviews High Performance Sailing: Faster Racing Techniques

High Performance Sailing by Frank Bethwaite link

Although targeted at racers (specifically dinghy and high-performance racers) there is so much good info about how wind works, how sails work, how to approach waves in different scenarios, why some boats that look fast aren't...

If you want to race in a straight line in strong wind then yes wider is better. But races for small sailboats are usually conducted on short courses with many turns, and if the boat is too wide it becomes too slow to turn.

This book has a section explaining this: https://www.amazon.com/High-Performance-Sailing-Faster-Techniques/dp/1408124912

Bethwaite's High Performance Sailing is the bible of dinghy sailing.

I also found Helming to Win to be helpful

I'd recommend signing up for a basic class at a sailing school. Hands on learning will get you where you want to go much faster.

Additionally I'd recommend High Performance Sailing by Frank Bethwaite which is absolutely great even for beginners that only have a basic understanding of what a boat is made up of. This is probably why I say additionally, because you'll want to combine it with a class. Learning by doing is still a mantra even if you're a very theoretical person.

The book has a lot of information on wind, trim (sail shape and position), handling, and a bunch more things and presents it in a clear way on top of that. It's also a bit more in-depth than other books I've read that just preach old ideas about trim, this actually explains it.