It's small, concise and surprisingly good at packing useful information into a tiny space. Basil has had considerable practice at writing simply and clearly to to help the novice understand sailing and he does it very well. It's succinct advice, but sound too. (Yachting Monthly February 2015). If you have just joined the Club because you want to learn to sail, we have just the booklet for you. This has lots of really good advice on what to wear, questions to ask and what to expect if you have never been on a boat before. (Little Ship Club). It would make a great welcome-on-board gift for skippers to give to new crew. It teaches them terminology and skills, but also takes a no-nonsense approach to extremely important matters - like crea asking if a skipper would like them to contribute to the boat's kitty. Very handy for nautical novices. (Sailing Today, Mar 2015). These slimline, flip-over 'learn-to-sail' type books are priceless in my view; and this second edition of 'New Crew's Companion' tops the bargain list once more... all the essentials are there for the new crew to make their lives easier aboard. A working knowledge of the text and illustrations herein are things which would make a 'newbie' welcome onboard any yacht. (Sailing Magazine, Jul 2015).