{"id":74928,"date":"2023-02-21T12:16:49","date_gmt":"2023-02-21T17:16:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/?p=74928"},"modified":"2023-05-07T00:04:10","modified_gmt":"2023-05-07T04:04:10","slug":"three-steps-to-becoming-a-great-crew","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/how-to\/three-steps-to-becoming-a-great-crew\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Steps to Becoming a Great Crew"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Boating <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n To be a great crew, show up with a positive attitude and contribute to the program. Know your job and do it well. Stay focused.<\/span>\n Paul Todd\/Outside Images<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

As the sailing coach at Point Loma High School, I spend a lot of time talking to the team about crewing. I also crew almost exclusively in my role as a professional sailor, so between those two experiences, plus sharing information about crewing with other pro sailors, I\u2019ve been able to boil down the essence of a great crew into three manageable parts. Keep in mind that these are \u201cbig \u00adpicture\u201d characteristics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s first start with mindset. In the morning, before you even get to the boat, you should be thinking: \u201cI\u2019m going to help out today in any way I can to help the boat and the team be as successful as possible. I\u2019m going to work really hard; I\u2019m going to have a great attitude; I\u2019m going to show up early, stay late, and figure out how I can contribute all day long.\u201d To do so, research what your job is going to be before you go sailing. Find out who\u2019s in charge of the boat. Ask them what you\u2019re going to be doing, when you\u2019re going to be doing it, and the steps it takes, whether it\u2019s trimming the sails<\/a>, doing the bow, calling the time or whatever. And ask what you can bring\u2014food, water, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, show up early to help rig the boat. Showing up early allows you to check out the boat and see how everything works. And when the rest of the team shows up, you will feel more confident and in the know. Then work hard\u2014help rig the sheets (or at the least offer to help), pull out the sails, and do whatever is necessary to help get the boat ready to leave the dock. While rigging, you can earn bonus points by being safety-conscious, looking around to make sure there\u2019s no chafe on lines, missing ring dings, or anything that looks like it may break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it\u2019s time to get the sails up, take great care in handling them. Gently flaking<\/a> them out or unrolling them before attaching them to the boat is key and takes coordinated teamwork by two or more people. Taking great care with the main and jib is not only fast, preventing wrinkles and encouraging longevity, but it also shows the boat owner that you understand sails are expensive, like to win, and are grateful for the \u00adopportunity to be on the boat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not sure what you\u2019re doing while prepping the boat and putting it away at the end of the day, ask someone in charge or watch the veterans on the boat. Learn what they\u2019re doing so you can offer to help them next time. Eager and attentive crewmembers are hard to find and always asked back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The positive mindset used when preparing the boat for the day is even more important once on the water. I\u2019ll never forget sailing in an alumni regatta with one of the best high school crew I\u2019ve coached. I had noticed that anyone she sailed with did better at practice, and in that event, I found out why. She was always happy and positive, even after a tough race. At that event, we started with two great races, but the third wasn\u2019t so special. But we passed a few boats before the finish. After the \u00adfinish, it would be easy to be a little bummed out, but instead with a smile she said: \u201cGreat race, Steve! Way to pass four boats on the final downwind leg! That was awesome.\u201d She kept the vibe in the boat so happy and positive that we went on to have some good races and won the regatta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes a good mindset means keeping the mood light. An example of doing that at just the right time was when sailing with my buddy Erik Shampain. After I made a bad tactical call, and then we had a poor leeward mark rounding, the skipper and I digressed into a nonproductive discussion about past events. Although we didn\u2019t notice it, that discussion was distracting us from sailing well. After a couple of minutes of this conversation, Erik, having had enough, interrupted us by saying, \u201cHey guys, hold on, I have a goldfish.\u201d We both paused and with curiosity asked, \u201cWhat?\u201d He said, \u201cOh, I thought we were talking about stuff that doesn\u2019t matter!\u201d We quickly got his point, and we all started laughing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the mood lightened and our focus back on racing well in the moment, we went on to pass 20 boats and finished the race on a positive note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s another way to think of maintaining the mindset of helping out and contributing: The skipper often has the most pressure and typically has invested the most time and money into making everything happen. Their reputation is on the line, and they feel it. So, when I show up as a crew, I think, How can I help the skipper do really well?<\/em> How can I help ease their stress and help them succeed? <\/em>That\u2019s my main focus. I use all the skills I have to do that: sailing skills, but also people skills by being positive and a psychologist, saying the right thing at the right time, and keeping the mood light. If you can do the same, you\u2019ll be asked to come back\u2014probably forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, let\u2019s talk about skills. In small, two-person boats, your job may be pretty straightforward: trimming the jib and using your weight to keep the boat at the proper heel angle. On bigger boats, like Lightnings, J\/24s and PHRF boats, you may be trimming, have other jobs, or a combo of both. You may be doing bow or simply calling the time in the pre-start. But regardless of what you\u2019re sailing, knowing what you\u2019re supposed to do and when to do it. By doing those jobs skillfully, you can add value to the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One skill that everyone needs to be aware of, and probably one of the most important, is weight placement. Moving your weight around to keep the boat at the proper heel angle is everyone\u2019s job, and it\u2019s critical for boatspeed<\/a>. If you grew up racing dinghies, you\u2019re probably tuned in to this already, but if not, be sure to ask the skipper or whoever is in charge on the boat where your weight should be at different points of sail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Terry Hutchinson likes to remind his crew to \u201cmind the boat.\u201d In other words, pay attention to what the boat\u2019s doing\u2014its heel, its speed though the water, and how it feels. Tune in and let the boat tell you what it needs. At the end of the day, as Buddy Melges always says, we are presenting the boat to the wind, from the time the sails go up until they come down. Our job as crew is to affect its heel angle for optimal performance and trim the sails well while the skipper controls the angle the boat is to the wind. These three attributes determine our speed. Therefore, always be thinking about the boat, minding and paying attention to it, and feeling and listening to how it moves through the water. Try to get to the point where no one has to tell you to move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An easy way to think of weight placement and how much you should be moving is to break it down into two conditions: telltale sailing, which is in light to medium air, and hiking conditions, which is when the boat is overpowered. When telltale sailing, the skipper mainly drives to the telltales, and it\u2019s up to the crew to move around and keep the proper heel angle, hiking in puffs and scooting in during lulls. Once the wind is up, hike hard and let the skipper drive to the heel angle while the trimmers ease and trim sails. Knowing the difference between the two modes makes it easy to define your weight-movement goals. You\u2019re basically asking, \u201cShould I be moving around and paying attention to the wind and heel angle now, or should I just hike really hard?\u201d Knowing the right time to do each is super important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another consideration while moving your weight is the view of the skipper. Top skipper Greg Fisher tells his crew: \u201cDon\u2019t sit in front of the TV.\u201d For him, the TV is the telltales, the forestay and the waves. The skipper wants to see what\u2019s coming, and they want to watch the telltales, so as you move in and out, don\u2019t get in their way. When you scoot in, especially on a dinghy, you should slide in with your hips first, keeping your shoulders out and down so you don\u2019t sit right in the skipper\u2019s view. On keelboats, when you scoot in, you might lie backward to keep the skipper\u2019s view open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re part of a well-oiled machine\u2014maybe you\u2019ve been sailing with the same \u00adpeople a while\u2014you can get to the point where weight placement rarely has to be communicated; everyone understands what you\u2019re searching for most of the time. With that said, it\u2019s also something the skipper should talk about based on the feel of the tiller. If the skipper\u2019s not doing it, ask: \u201cHey, how does the boat feel? Tell me what feels good, and I will try to keep it in the sweet spot for you.\u201d And if you do that, the skipper will love you for it because you\u2019re helping them make the boat feel right\u2014and go fast. On larger boats with more crew, it\u2019s best to have a skilled sailor call weight movements for the group so the whole team can move as one unit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About that communication: Once you feel your skills are pretty good and you are doing your jobs on the boat well and at the right time, you can start to add more value by communicating. There is a lot you can say and, just as important, should not say at any given time. On \u00adbigger boats, it should be defined who should be talking and who should not. On smaller boats, the communication may fall on you, so knowing what to say and when is very important. If your job requires communication, follow this basic rule: Communicate what is important based on the current situation, and realize that the situation often changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, on the way out to the racecourse, the discussion might center on what sails you\u2019re putting up. Then, while warming up on the course, the discussion is on boat setup and racecourse features. In the pre-start, it\u2019s calling time and communicating threats coming during your final approach to the line. Once the race is underway and you\u2019ve had a good start, the focus will likely be on boatspeed; if you\u2019ve had a tough start, it will probably center on escape routes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s say we just started the race, had a clean start, and we\u2019re going to sail straight for a while. Communication might focus on puffs and lulls, or our speed in relation to others. Then, later, after tacking onto port, the best communication may be \u00adidentifying right-of-way starboard-tack boats. Once there are no more starboard threats and your lane opens up, the attention shifts back to the most important thing, which is simply to go fast for a while. Later in the beat, as you get close to the top mark, you may ask the skipper the downwind-leg plan, then shift into calling traffic to help get around the top mark clean, with no drama or fouls. That\u2019s what I mean by communicating what\u2019s most important at any given moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may have heard that a fast boat is a quiet boat. Jimmy Spithill spoke to our high school sailors recently, and they asked him about communication. He said, \u201cYou want to be as concise as possible and convey ideas with as few words as possible at the right time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, your job may be to be quiet in the pre\u2011start, or it may be to call the time, and you should do that really well. You should focus on being great at it. Ask the skipper or tactician, \u201cHow would you like me to call the time?\u201d Is it every 15 seconds down to two minutes, then every 10 seconds down to one minute, and every five seconds down to 30 seconds, and then every second down to zero? Again, you\u2019re communicating what\u2019s important at that one moment in the race and working to be as concise as possible. Not overcommunicating during a race helps the skipper and tactician concentrate on making the boat go fast and making good decisions. And in Jimmy\u2019s world, when you are foiling at 40 knots, things are happening so fast, there\u2019s \u00adliterally no time for long communications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I heard one of the coolest tips for short and sweet comms while on a US Sailing team call. Tim Wadlow, a two-time 49er Olympian, mentioned his team had a communication for going straight. They just say \u201chappy.\u201d It comes from one of their favorite movies, Happy Gilmore<\/em>. \u201cIf we\u2019re ever in a situation where we\u2019re in a big lane, sailing toward the mark, and we\u2019re not thinking about tacking, our goal is just to go fast for a while. So, basically, we\u2019re in our happy place,\u201d Wadlow said. \u201cSo, we say \u2018happy,\u2019 which communicates that we\u2019re going to focus on speed and heel angle, and simply go straight for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knowing this, the crew can get low on the wire and fully focus on heel angle and sail trim\u2014concise and in the moment. He also gave an example where they\u2019ve just rounded the bottom mark, the lane\u2019s kind of thin, and they\u2019re pinching. \u201cI\u2019m thinking about tacking, but I\u2019m not sure I need to yet, so I just say \u2018looking.\u2019 That one word lets the crew know not to get super low on the wire and be ready to tack because I\u2019m looking around and considering bailing out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These two words convey a lot of meaning, and they mean something to the people on the boat. Come up with your own words for short and sweet comms, and have some fun with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In sum, know each step of your job and have a repeatable process that you follow every single time. If you do your job at the right time in harmony with everyone else, the sails will go up and down well, the heel angle will stay consistent, and the boat will go fast. Olympian Dave Hughes, who is one of the best crew in the world, says: \u201cBe a student of the game. Ask questions, be curious, work hard, and you\u2019ll always be invited back.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Want to be the best crew you can be? It\u2019s easy and starts with a positive attitude and a commitment to improving.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":74929,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"BS_author_type":"BS_author_is_guest","BS_guest_author_name":"Steve Hunt","BS_guest_author_url":"","hydra_display_date":"","hydra_display_updated":false,"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"156","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","arc_story_id":"","arc_website_url":"","custom_permalink":"","arc_subtype":"","arc_exclude_from_feeds":false,"sponsored":false,"sponsored_label":"Sponsored Content","sponsored_display_label":false,"sponsored_image":false,"post_right_rail":true,"post_right_rail_ad_1":true,"post_right_rail_ad_2":true,"post_right_rail_ad_3":false,"post_right_rail_ad_4":false,"post_right_rail_recirc":true,"fixed_anchor_ad":true,"post_top_ad":true,"post_off_ramp":true,"post_taboola":false,"labels":true,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":"","ad_settings_ads_on_this_page":true,"ad_settings_automatic_ad_injection_into_the_content":true,"ad_targeting":"","sponsored_url":"","social_share":true},"categories":[156],"tags":[271,2812,2889,235,742],"class_list":["post-74928","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-to","tag-boatspeed","tag-how-to-2","tag-print-winter-2023","tag-tactics","tag-technique"],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74928","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74928"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74928\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74929"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74928"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74928"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74928"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}