Top Tips on Being a Great Sailboat Racing Crew Member
Over the years, we’ve interviewed many top sailboat racing teams who tell us about their wonderful crew members and how well they work together, or how they read each other’s minds. As anyone who’s ever stepped foot on a race boat will tell you, this is uncommon. Such “well-oiled machine” teams don’t happen overnight; it takes years of sailing together, weathering storms, honing skills, and laughing together to become a synchronistic, effective team. When teams reach that level, they feel like family and tend to win more. Wouldn’t you love to be part of a team like that?
There are ways to improve your racing crew skills, hundreds of them, perhaps. We thought we’d start the conversation with two successful Chesapeake sailors’ thoughts on being a better crew member.
1. Be proactive.
Kelly FitzGerald, who is on the J/24 US Class Association executive committee and is the J/24 East Coast Championship regatta chair, says, “Everyone is busy these days, including your skippers, so we could all use a few reminders, especially about the sailing schedule. Reach out to your skippers early this year and see which events they’re considering. Check your schedule and send them your availability before the season even starts. This avoids the Tuesday panicked text you’ll receive to see if you’re available for Wednesday Night Racing the following day!”
2. Be communicative.
FitzGerald says, “Communication is key. Be honest about your sailing skillset and also about areas you’d like to improve. Whether it is a more casual weeknight race or a top-tier event, your skipper needs to put the right people in the right positions for a competitive, safe, and great experience for all.
“If you’re new to the bow, but really want to learn, let your skippers know that at the start of the season, and I bet you’ll find them willing to train you this year. We’ve all been racing with someone who claims to be a Cat 3 superstar, only to find out that it isn’t the case, which can be frustrating for your entire team. Avoid the drama and have the conversations early about your goals for the season.”
Editor’s note: Be communicative on land as well! We at SpinSheet hear skippers lamenting that new crew members don’t answer their emails, texts, or team app messages… not “great crew” behavior. Find out how your skipper communicates with the team and jump onboard.
3. Be helpful.
Have you ever offered to assist on a boat-work day? FitzGerald recommends that you do: “If we’re lucky, racing is about 20 percent racing and 80 percent everything else. From regular maintenance, to upgrades, to prepping for winter storage and everything in between, there’s always a lot of time and effort to get the boat race-ready and in top shape. Offer to help with a boat-work day this spring! Boat work is more fun with more people, and hey, is it even a real Saturday without a trip to the West Marine?”
4. Become versatile.
Known as the editor and commentator of T2PTV, Ashley Love competes in a variety of boats from a Melges 15 to a J/105 and in a wide range of events from weeknight races to team and fleet racing, including her most recent competition in March: Trophé Virginie Hériot, a J/70 women’s regatta hosted by the Yacht Club of Monaco. Love says, “Being experienced in a specific role is great, but I’ve also found being versatile to do many roles on the boat to be an asset. It means you can be a part of a top-level team in multiple ways and configurations.
“On the J/105, Mayhem, owned by Doug and Amy Stryker, I’ve done every role on the boat at some point and switched around so often that I have no ‘regular job.’ It enables Doug to build the team for events in lots of different ways. If he finds someone that is a phenom at main, I can trim jib or kite or do pit. I love mixing it up. It’s also good for when it is super light air or super heavy and we need to assign roles based on weight to keep our weight in the right place on the boat.”
5. Be generous.
FitzGerald notes, “If you’ve been racing with a team for years and want to help take it to the next level, talk to your skipper about contributing some financially. It could be as small as purchasing an extra winch handle that you know the boat needs or maybe contributing to a new spinnaker for the upcoming North Americans. Many skippers loan their boats to their trusted crew for events they cannot attend, so in this case, pay the entry fees and stock the boat with any supplies you used for the event. If it is a more casual program, buying a round of drinks or dinner for the owner every now and again will still go a long way!”
6. Become part of the program.
Love adds, “I’ve strongly encouraged people coming onto the scene to think about what else they can offer to a team: Have extra bedrooms near the club? Make a mean morning smoothie for crew members the morning of an event? Love taking GoPro videos that can help improve choreography when watched later? Really good at fiberglass work or canvas sewing, or have some extra time to help with the bottom job, get hoisted up the mast, move sails to or from a loft, or help deliver the boat to away events? It takes a lot to run a successful boat program and the expression ‘it takes a village’ is applicable. Be a part of the program, not just the racing, and you’ll become more valuable.”
7. Be prompt and more.
Love concludes, “Always show up with bells on, on time (or even better, early), try your best, learn from your mistakes and try to minimize them, stay positive on the boat, and communicate clearly on and off the water.”
Send more tips on being a great crew member to [email protected] to keep the conversation going.
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