BYC Race Clinic
November 5, 1995
Renee Wilmeth
So, last year at this time we talked about what you do when you want to put together a racing program. We talked about getting racing crew and some basics about putting them together. We also talked about crew plans. But, this year we're taking it a step further. Now, we're talking about a crew you've got or one you've been putting together and a current crew plan, and why it's working or not working. As we talked about last time, crew coordination may seem easy at the beginning, but putting together a good crew -- building a *real* team -- is one of the most difficult aspects of sailboat racing.
Before we even start, we're assuming you've made some decisions about your program. Where you want to be -- personally and within the fleet (you have to make an accurate assessment of your own skill level), and how much money and time you are willing to spend. These are just essential factors that you need to take into account when you set your goals. They are interrelated and are going to determine what kind of a program you're going to establish, and how many and what kind of crew you are going to need or be able to get. This is not to say that in order to win you have to spend a lot of time and money -- you need to *first* decide your parameters and *then* build your program. And you must be realistic and recognize the limitations, especially *your own* If you don't make these decisions in the beginning, it's going to be very difficult to decide where you can go.
What we didn't talk about last time though was the next step: Team building -- how to put together this crew and make a real team out of them. Team building is a crucial factor in winning races -- whether you are talking about a crowded starting line or tight mark rounding (sometimes a high pressure situation), a time gain in HDA, or in a tight one-design fleet.
First rule: You can assume nothing. If you have a full boat of good crew, do not assume that the crew work will be perfect. If you already have excellent crew, do not assume that a) they will not make mistakes, b) that they will be best at the positions where you have them, and most importantly c) they will work together well as a team. It is up to you to find how to optimize the mix and build your crew plan around what works. This evolution process takes place regardless of a Friday night club racer or an America's Cup program.
Regardless of your boat size or your crew knowledge, you must focus on both *leadership* and *training.* These issues allow you to begin to build a team out of your crew. These are the factors that help your crew perform under pressure -- and get it right consistently!
A team is a system -- not just a collection of individuals -- and each system or team optimizes differently. And that takes time. You may find that to optimize your team -- to achieve the right mix of individuals, you may not necessarily have the best person in each position or on the crew for that matter. Within the team, there are three critical elements that come into play in order to hold it together. 1. Communication among the team on the water performing and off the water learning is crucial. 2. Team members should have shared expectations of the team performance -- a commitment to the team and it's *goals*. 3. The third element is Opportunity. These people are members of the team because someone believes they have something to offer. They must have an opportunity to use the knowledge to make correct decisions, even though the entire team needs to be directed..
You have two tools to achieve these elements of team building. Leadership and Training:
Leadership is a matter of defining the delicate balance of your team or system. -- optimizing that system. A leader is a person who can listen to and tune your system to achieve that careful optimization.-- not necessarily drive the change but understand it and help achieve it. And remember, I'm not talking about the few generals here, I'm talking about the enlisted men -- individual leaders on your crew. Each team is different but the *formula* for building a winning team is to be able to listen, to tune and to know when that delicate balance has been achieved. This might include excellent sailors who just don't fit into the mix. Or a newer sailor who is trainable and has the right attitude. Leadership helps the communication process work, it helps develop the common commitment to the team's goals and it develops each team member's confidence to make maneuvers happen. The critical factors (Communication, Commitment and Training) provide the direction the team needs to go, even though individuals might need help learning to get there. That's where training comes in.
Training is the way we achieve the team members coming into alignment. They cannot communicate, commit or perform if they do not have the means -- which is achieved through training. If a sheet trimmer on a spinnaker set doesn't know what to do with the sheet, you end up with a wrap or worse. If your guy trimmer on a broach doesn't know what to do (while you're yelling at the sheet trimmer), you've lost more time in a crash than a simple spin-out would have cost you. If each crew member knows dead cold what should happen in any situation, you win races. But it takes a lot of training to get to there -- even with crew who already know how to sail well. Training allows each crew member to perform on your boat to his or her best ability on a consistent basis. That consistency is what we are after.
And just to let you know that you, the skipper/owner/driver, are not off the hook. Remember you are the leader of the entire program -- it's *your* program with *your* boundaries. When you decided to compete, you assumed that leadership role and you must not be afraid to lead. You need to define what you *want* from your crew and then train them, work with them to achieve it while at the same time working towards that delicate balance that makes it all come together. The old adage "Lead, follow or get out of the way," has meaning here. If you are not up to it, then within your program boundaries you need to compensate for that.
OK. So we've talked an awful lot about the concept of a team and the concept of what you need to get there. How do you really do it?. And how do you use it when you are on the starting line. I can give you some examples, but remember the formula for building a winning team is that there is no formula. Each team is different -- you, the skipper, must be the one to watch, listen, tune and understand when that delicate balance has been achieved.
First, you can identify your leaders. It could be any member of your program -- or several. Often a leader will be the person who is able to get everyone either very enthused or bring them all very down. However, that may not necessarily be the case. It might be quietest member of your crew, who might have some very insightful observations about the team. With some guidance, either of these types of leaders can be effective. Without guidance, either type of leader will be frustrated and able to derail the crew just after a poor start. You have to be able to identify who these leaders might be and guide them and channel their energies into your program.
Identifying your leaders is the first step. And while large boats often bring in a crew boss to fill this role, do not go away from this presentation with only the thought that you need a crew boss to solve all your problems. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Using leaders within your crew to identify the tuning of the system is an important part of team building and part of a delicate balance. I do, however, want to emphasize the importance of getting this balance right. A *good* crew boss is a coach and can help a program come together, in some cases faster, and can help each team member work together through those critical elements -- communication, commitment and opportunity to perform. The bottom line -- target -- is that each person must perform to their best of their ability on a consistent basis. This is what you can tune your system around.
On a small boat your crew could have several of these leaders. They are crucial for motivating everyone to do their best all the time, to constantly make maneuvers faster and cleaner, which wins races in one design racing and helps save time in handicap racing. On a large boat, often the crew boss or tactician fills this role. Their *job* is to *be* that leader, help identify the other team leaders, to bring the crew up, help them train, take care of details and make the maneuvers work.
There will be times when you don't have a distinct leader or you don't have one that is up for the job. How do you find what you need? On a big boat, you'll want to find a crew boss or coach -- or in some cases a tactician or new helmsman. If you need a tactician or crew boss, then you are back to determining your program boundaries. These boundaries are going to determine what your limitations are. On a small boat, you will want to examine your mix and possibly add a new crew who can take over leadership responsibilities, or work with existing crew to assume and develop their own leadership roles. The crew must have confidence in who ever you choose -- crew boss, coach, tactician or helmsman.
OK. So you're ready to get to the starting line. First, crew selection: You probably already have your basics. Obviously, you want to make sure you've got the major positions covered, bow, trimmer, main if you need it and tactics for a larger boat. On smaller boats, keep in mind that often your crew members might have input -- you don't have to use it -- but sometimes you might be surprised that your normally quiet and reliable bowman knows the right current call or that your headsail trimmer is the best mark spotter you've ever seen. Input for you gives you the opportunity to learn more about how to use your crew to the best advantage. Skippers often choose different crew for long distance ocean racing than for buoy racing. In a distance race situation, speed and efficiency of maneuvers isn't so important. Patience, navigation and helm ability might mean more. Most skippers wouldn't use their Hawaii race team for the HDA season or Fall One Design regatta.
Next, you want to make sure every detail is covered for the race. This may not seem important if you've been covering everything successfully for a while. Sure you might miss a course signal, or be late for the start every once in a while or make a mistake with race instructions. This is *unacceptable*. If you are truly serious about building a team to win races, you must give them the margin for error. And in closing that margin, it means that timing is crucial, administrative details must be taken care of and any race lost by making an administrative error is an exercise in frustration for your entire crew. These mistakes can be avoided by a little planning. I've included in your handouts a Race Worksheet I use -- it's also posted on my Web page if you want to download it instead. I make a folder for every race. Inside I list each crew and their phone number or email address -- whatever the primary means of communication is, then I add the worksheet, race instructions and other information. Some skippers use a looseleaf binder with the race instructions in a plastic sleeve. It doesn't matter what you use as long as you use something that works *every* time.
One thing about email -- I've seen more skippers get hooked up just this year to do crew coordination than I ever thought possible. If you already have email, try getting the email addresses of your crew and doing confirmations via email instead of phone calls. It takes much less time and makes the process much simpler. The entire Olsen 30 fleet is online, most of the Merit 25 fleet is online and the Melges 24 fleet has a pretty impressive Web page.
The race worksheet you see there is a sample for a recent race I skippered on a J-35. The names have been changed to protect the guilty. But it details pieces of planning for each aspect of the race from weather to crew to the notes I used for the crew meeting before the race. I usually attach the crew plan and post the worksheet and crew plan on my web page prior to a race for crew to access. I also bring copies of the crew plan with me to the boat in the morning. As each crew looks at the crew plan, I ask them to consider who the people are they work with most -- the team within the team. For example, the bow team is the bowman, mastman, pit person and helmsman. The trimming team is the trimmers and tailers. While the tactical team is usually the driver, tactician, bowman and main trimmer. I ask each team to get with each other just while we're rigging to go over the crew plan and identify any possible problems. As the team becomes more accustomed to working together, these working teams can be fine tuned and adjusted even more closely. Remember, your crew plan is a living growing document. If your team is developing and changing and growing looking for that delicate balance where everything works, your crew plan details should be constantly adjusting, shifting to foster this optimization.
On the way to the starting area, have a crew meeting in the cockpit to go over some points you want them to remember for the day. You as skipper and/or the tactician should give them an overview of what your strategy might be and make any points that might have come up since the last race. For instance, in my last crew meeting I mentioned that we wanted only the tactician to make the calls -- no hails from any other crew members -- due to the confusion on a previous race when someone on the rail had hailed about a possible foul. I usually go over the possible courses as well including the ones we *think* we might get. And what special set-up the bow team might need to be aware of. Your bowman should be trained to be completely set-up by the course signal and still ready for a quick change if necessary.
Many skippers I race with expect each crew to know the tides and currents for the day and to have listened to the weather before they arrive at the dock. Each crew should get a shot at reading the race instructions as well. On a small boat, this is crucial since it is even more important that each crew member be on exactly the same wavelength. Crew, you should be prepared in this matter on any boat you go on -- and you should know your number signal flags.
You as the skipper should let your crew know what you want to hear and how you want to hear it. For example, calling leeward traffic or crossings or puffs. Remember they are there to give you information, and you have a right to ask them to do it your way. Train your crew to stay dialed in -- to stay focused. Once they loose their concentration, you are next. And lack of concentration leads to lack of boat speed and trimming problems. Train them to keep a quiet boat, with little chatter, to focus on the race and feeding you information, and working together.
At the start, give them an opportunity to set their watches, especially your bowman and the person assigned to do nothing but call time. You cannot execute a proper start using all the tactical pieces given here today until you are focused yourself. Give your bowman an opportunity to get his shore ranges. If he doesn't know how to use them, take the time to explain. Take the time to work with your bowman on hand signals, how he will call the line and what information you want back from him -- whether it be traffic only or tactical information about how other boats are setting up. Recognize that the best bowmen and women are racing skippers in their own right and know exactly what to look for. I have one racing skipper who doesn't just want to know how far off the line we are, but whether his rival is going to lee bow us on the start line. I have another racing skipper who wants tactical information if his regular main trimmer is not on board. When the regular main trimmer is there, he wants traffic and line calls only. This is a perfect example of tailoring your team -- and having team members understand how to work together.
When you do crew practices on the water, work with your trimmers and crew weight and train them how you want to accelerate and decelerate for the starts. Your crew should be in full race mode -- meaning hiking out when the boat heels -- from before your 5 -minute signal. They, too, are a big part of how your boat accelerates in set up and across the line. Make sure they know you expect this and then train them in what you want exactly. On a championship Olsen 30 I race on, one of the rail people during the start is assigned to look at the course flag. Not tell anyone or tell the tactician but look at it. Then, after the start is over -- that is after the boat is fully up to speed sometime after the start -- and they have picked a side of the course or a boat to cover, is the time to consider the course, set-up and mark rounding. The crucial element there is that someone on the crew is *trained* to know that we must get a course and that neither the tactician or helmsman are making a point to look at it. Inevitably all three rail people get the course signal -- every time.
Lastly, bring lunch. This is *so* important and I still can't believe there are skippers who don't do this. It makes an incredible difference in the commitment your team makes to your program and the level of crew you are going to be able to keep.
One last thing I want to emphasize about all of the things I mentioned good crew should do during a start. You cannot expect anyone to do any of these things without *training*. (Actually, you can, but that's just not the way it works in real life.) Many of your good crew will do these things already, but if you are going to achieve *consistency*, you must train them that you want all of these factors *all* of the time. And you must not be afraid to ask.
Now, I come to the part most of you small boat skippers are already saying -- "But I already do all that myself." You probably do, but you shouldn't have to. Some of you may have crew that fulfill these kinds of leadership roles and are winning races, because you are able to concentrate on driving the boat instead of worrying about the next spinnaker set. In order to function as a team -- the crew needs that same Communication, Commitment and Opportunity we talked about earlier. This means that as a skipper you not only have to train them, but also step back and give them the opportunity to do their jobs ,even if they make a mistake -- and they are going to make mistakes. But the best skippers are the ones who stand by their crew, let them make the call and then train them so that they can learn. All good crew make a few mistakes in their careers that they will never forget. Training builds programs which is why winning racing programs must be built over the course of the season. Sometimes years.
The hardest part is really letting go. This is the most crucial transition for club and YRA level racers who are really working on putting together a team. Most big boat skippers make this transition only after killing themselves for a season trying to do it all -- but small boat skippers have to do it also. You must let go, delegate the running of the boat to your leaders and concentrate on winning a race. Train your bowman or foredeck to run the spinnakers sets and you'll find that a quick confirmation on the windward leg is much more efficient than explaining it all. This will further define for you the crew you need and the qualities your team will start to have. Remember it's a constantly evolving system -- and you are looking for that optimization.
If you get a chance, read John Bertrand's Born to Win about the 1983 America's Cup and then read Dennis Connor's No Excuse to Lose. They both talk a lot about commitment and about crew. The biggest change you as a skipper have to realize that the crew isn't just another part of the boat like a new main or a new set of spinnaker sheets. They are the program -- the living breathing part of the program and you must involve your leaders in every aspect -- to help them learn and grow and to help you build your team. That is how you win sailboat races.
Part II
Mark Roundings:So earlier we talked about leadership and training -- and the critical elements to forming a winning team: Communication, Commitment and Opportunity.
So now you're on the race course and you are not concentrating on driving because you are discussing the set with the bow crew and you are thinking about how the trimmer is going to have to pre-feed the guy and then next thing you know, you've missed a wind shift or current relief because you are busy trying to fulfill this leadership position -- instead of drive a winning race.
After you have determined what your leadership situation is or might be, (or determined what the problem is) you need to work on the solution. To come to it, you need to consider the same interrelated factors you started defining your program with: People, Money, Time and Ability. This is a similar process to how you determined to put together your program in the first place.
People: On a small boat, say an Express 27 (too small for a separate tactician) but big enough for a main trimmer, you might want to find a main trimmer to fill the leadership role, or you might have a very strong bowperson -- which allows them to take care of the crew and you to work with your main trimmer on tactics. Work with the crew that you feel might be up for this job -- you may have to recruit someone new, but it will pay off. If you do recruit someone, they should have a the proper attitude and be able to communicate it to others. They should know their position cold and will probably know most of the others. If they don't, teach them. If they don't know the boat already, they should want to become very familiar with it -- if they are good. Most importantly, they should be someone that you can work with, that you trust and that you are willing to have work with the crew on your behalf. They should be willing to train crew and practice if necessary and help you when you ask for it. Most importantly -- the crew boss has to be someone your crew has confidence in. For these reason, the crew boss/tactician position (because it's usually the same on larger boats) is the most difficult to fill.
On bigger boats you are dealing with the same factors of looking for leaders in your crew, but you need more of them. Within your overall team, you are running a bow team, a trimming or cockpit team, and a tactical team. You need leaders in all those positions -- and guess what, now they all have to get along -- or at least work together. It is still essential that you find the right mix -- that delicate balance that separates a team "sailing the boat" from just a bunch of people going sailing -- and it becomes exponentially harder the larger the boat is. Now you are dealing with 10 people instead of 5 or 6. The same factors that determine how competitive a program you are running are going to determine the caliber of crew you are able to recruit or keep.
Let's give an example: You are starting with a core of 6. You want to add another trimmer, a bowman and a tactician/crew boss for a crew of 9. You begin recruiting. You must be honest with new recruits about the level of your program and the possible progress -- if you are not, you are going to lose some new crew very quickly and some of your old, also. Remember this is a bargain between the skipper and crew and each must hold up their end. You must emphasize from the beginning if crew training and coaching is a major part of the position -- any leadership position. If you are recruiting a new bowman, you need to honest with him or her about the bow team and let the bowman know from the beginning whether he or she will be able to train the mast and mid and pit people to work with him or whether they need to fit in to existing structures. If the team really wants to get better, they will come up with their own mix -- but they need to be directed. If you recruit a tactician or crew boss, the skipper must be honest with them about the helmsman's abilities, and again emphasize training. No team ever won an event without training and improvement and working together.
So what happens after a few races and someone you've recruited and thought would be wonderful turns out to be a disaster. They are terrible, or they are great but their attitude stinks. What do you do? Well, you have to do what any teambuilder has to do, assess their affect on the rest of the team, on the mix. If it's negative, they have to go. This doesn't mean the person isn't a good sailor, it just means they didn't fit into your mix. It happens. The best thing the team can do, is pick up and go on -- but an empty leadership role must be filled. The team cannot go on without.
The second inter-related factor is money. I'm not going to say that money is the only factor in you doing well. It is a factor, but it's not the only one. If someone tells you that if you have the latest 3DL sails, technora or Vectran halyards, spectra and titanium and carbon fiber everything, you'll win races, they are dead wrong. However, gear and sails will increase your competitiveness relative to the other factors -- your team, ability and time. I've seen boats with the best team, tactical knowledge and helming ability do very well with two season old sails and dusty rope sheets and halyards bowlined on. But, remember these factors are all inter-related. The thing about money, is that decent gear and sails is a big factor in you keeping good crew. Crew that are good enough to compensate for terrible sails and old gear are unfortunately good enough to crew on any boat they choose. And they will. The inverse is also true. A skipper with new sails and gear every year, but who treats his crew very poorly, will also find himself having a hard time keeping a good team on board. That same skipper could skip the new sail and spend the same money on his crew and find that he will get *more* performance out of the boat for the season than he would have with the new sail.
Finding the delicate balance for you, your crew and your boat is the answer. When you haul-out, ask the crew to roll out for prepping the boat bottom for paint and do crew shirts with some of the money you save. Sandwiches are *so* important for races -- not just for performance but for moral. And if you win a regatta, consider buying dinner tickets or drink tickets for the bar afterward. You will get more out of it -- than saving the money for new gear. And when you install new gear, work with your crew on the installation, make the boat as crew friendly as possible. They are the ones who have to use it, and they are the ones who will save or cost you time if the deck layout is right or wrong.
For example, a skipper I race with has given much thought to the crew and the boat layout over the past few seasons. In addition to always making a layout change, he's thinking of how it will affect the crew positions. He has now moved every non-sheet related line out of the cockpit. He says, "The cockpit crew have all they can deal with two jib sheets and two spinnaker sheets. I run with a full time mast man and cabin top person in addition to a bowman. They can deal with every thing else." All other controls are at the mast. The "bow team" runs the front end of the boat, while the "cockpit team" runs the back end. They communicate, work together and the mark roundings are clean and fast.
Another example: after trying several ideas about making the lifelines more comfortable for hiking, he finally settled on dinghy hiking straps, sewn four ply and spliced in the lifeline sections. It serves to keep the crew in the section of the boat where they are supposed to be, not too far forward or back and offers no excuse for not hiking their brains out. It works, too.
If you want to change the deck layout to make it more friendly, discuss the changes with the crew, get their input and then have a work party to make the changes. This gets everyone involved in the boat, the program and commits them to wanting to win.
The next two factors are Time and Ability: Time involves crew practices, time on the boat and time on the program which includes administration, crew calls, organizing practices, boat maintenance, deliveries, prep, etc.. If you are moving up to a larger boat, remember the time it takes to run the program, and train the crew, like the cost, grows *exponentially* with the boat size. One very good, season champion local skipper said it took him 4 seasons to put together his winning crew. That is a big investment, but the pay off has been worth it.
The next piece of this is ability which includes your ability as a racer and the leadership you as the skipper can bring to the program. If you need to have an entire boat full of people who are much better sailors than you are to sail your boat, then your boat is probably too big. The same applies to your budget. If you can only run a marginal program with your budget, you would probably be better off running a competitive program on a smaller boat.
Now we come to crew work upwind, on mark roundings and with the spinnaker. As crew, there are some things you can do to improve efficiency. Upwind, remember the start isn't over until the boat is settled into the first part of its upwind leg. Crew, be focused. Try to hold chatter on the rail to a minimum. When moving on the boat, especially in light air, try to make your movements smooth -- and slow if it's very light. In light air, be very aware of the heel angle. The last thing the skipper should have to do in light air is scream for his crew to move weight to leeward. After a tack, say coming in to the windward mark for a bear away, let the boat get up to speed before moving off the rail.
Skippers, make the boat crew friendly. Design your deck layout to really help your crew work together as a team. Don't do a crew plan that doesn't work with your deck layout. And if it can be changed to make the maneuvers more efficient, faster, cleaner great -- talk to your crew about their ideas. If you have to get a new line or shackle, ask your crew what they might like -- at least listen. Little things will help too, a marking pen for marking sheets and halyards should always be on the boat, as well as tape for taping swedges on spinnaker pole fittings and lifelines and WD-40 or Silicone spray for lubricating pole and mast fittings. These are easy things -- that help your crew operate as a more efficient team.
One of the most important factors while racing -- Recovery from mistakes is crucial. The entire race can be won or lost on how skillfully a team recovers from a bad mark rounding, an ugly spinnaker douse or a slow set. After a bad maneuver, it is critical the crew must be back on the rail (if it's an upwind leg) and moving on to the next piece. Recovery and focus go together.
In addition, while talking about bad mark roundings, a professional attitude is what you want to strive for. Nothing looks worse on the race course than two crews screaming at each other. When I am skippering, I note it for my crew every time, if we are in an altercation with another boat or crew, whether it be as minor as a possible foul or as major as a collision, don't yell at the other crew. Concentrate on getting the job done on *your* boat -- neither skipper needs it and it breaks the focus of the team. Besides, you'll find out that if you can keep it together while the other crew is losing it, it can be a gainer for you every time -- if you're crew is prepared.
Crew should always be striving to get it right and to get it better. On a slow mark rounding, examine where the problem is and make a mental note. After the race discuss it with the skipper or crew boss and find out what can be done to fix it. Don't make mistakes twice -- ever! Always be willing to try something new -- not during an important race, though. If you have a problem and think you know the solution, then try it, fix it and try it again, but don't make mistakes twice. Skippers, recognize the team's limitations. If you have been practicing jibe-sets and the success rate has only been 30 percent, you need to consider this before ordering a jibe set at Blackaller in 22 knots of breeze when you are second boat around the mark. When you practice and when you sail, remember, your goal is *measurable* consistency. Often it is better to make a conservative mark rounding and lose a boat length than try an aggressive mark rounding, do a poor job of it and lose six boat lengths.
For example: On Olsen 30's we stow the spinnaker pole on the boom. When you round a leeward mark, it is crucial that the foredeck person can detach the pole, stow it and hook the forward jaws on the bale on the boom which is a wire loop around the boom. We practice just the hook up maneuver at the dock, because it take the most time. Inevitably, as we are dousing at Blossom and heading back up, a bowman is always on the low side trying to hook the jaws onto that bale. So we didn't just keep trying the same system and hoping we'd get it right eventually, we examined why it was slow and changed the bale. Now the bowman has an extra hand for stowing the pole and is back on the rail where he belongs when the boat rounds up.
One last note -- as far as the general racing goes. Crew, respect the gear. Learn how to properly take care of sails, sheets, shackles and the boat. Skippers, you should train them on this. It's an important part of being good racing crew and shows immense respect for the sport. Racing a sailboat is not an inexpensive proposition and even the rattiest sails can have another few practices squeezed out of them if they are properly cared for. Avoid leaving sails in the sun or the heat. Many of the new laminate sails tear or snag easily, so look for possible problems on the boat and tape them. Clean the shackles and spinnaker pole tips with Silicon Spray or WD40 before races and if an sheet end needs whipping, do it, instead of complaining every time the line gets threaded through a block. And while you are crewing, pay attention to what you are doing -- if the jib seems stuck in its track, don't just jump the halyard harder, signal the bowman to check it. A torn or unusable sail doesn't win races Last year, after a particular wet and cold ocean race on a larger boat, one that the skipper had let us do even though he was out of town, several crew rolled out the next day to rinse sails and let them actually dry on the YC lawn before putting them back in the storage locker. We also cleaned out the boat and hosed all the salt spray off. Racing is hard on equipment and a little care from the crew goes a long way -- for the boat and for the skipper.
In the handout I've given you, you'll find a very practical article on Keith Lorence, this year's Olsen 30 national champion. I keep coming back to Olsen 30's because in recent seasons, their fleet has become so tight that there is a real premium on crew work. With five boats all rounding the windward mark at pretty much the exact same time, the boat with the cleanest and fastest sets, jibes and douses -- on a consistent basis -- is the one who is going to win the season. Consistency is a real key, and the boats here on the bay put a lot of time and effort into recruiting and training good crew -- because it makes a real difference.
Lorance has some interesting things he recommends to do and not do -- but take a minute to read the section on crew work -- and you'll see that Keith Lorance doesn't just have a crew, he has a team. Consistent performance is what you are after as you recruit, develop and train your crew in search of that perfect balance. The most important thing is that you always keep looking for that balance until you get it right. That's the essence of team building. We'll see you on the race course.