wotayottie
Well-Known Member
Could you expand a bit. Tac/nav, Helm, mainsheet and trim1 are obvious as is bow. But what does pit do or mast and trim 2 and 3.
Racing - hows, whys & wherefores?
- Thread starter MissFitz
- Start date
Could you expand a bit. Tac/nav, Helm, mainsheet and trim1 are obvious as is bow. But what does pit do or mast and trim 2 and 3.
sailorman
Well-Known Member
Join a Y.C. that does regular & competitive racing
Vanilla
Well-Known Member
Brighton Marina Yacht Club is a great place to start racing. As another poster said they do a course called "Club Class" where you get training and experience on a variety of different boats (and skippers!!!) over several weeks. If you turn up there on any Sunday by about 9.00am when it's not forecast F8 you're sure to find a boat wanting crew. Good social side too after the racing. Depending on where you live in London it's probably much quicker to get there than the Solent, though not such a pretty area to sail in of course but with the upside of much less traffic!
flaming
Well-Known Member
Pit tails the halyards, tidies them ready to run, adjusts pole up and down, packs the kite (on some boats) and generally makes the whole boat work. If doing main hatch drops he is generally in the hatch anyway, so pulls the kite down on top of him.
Mast is the simplest job on the boat. His (it's almost always a he) main job is to get the kite to the top of the stick. If he hits the top of the mast before it fills, he's done a good job, if not he has failed. He also hoists the jibs. Essentailly if it has to go up the mast, it's his job to pull it up as fast as possible. And when the jib comes down he helps the bowman keep it on the boat. If you need to swap the jib from one side to the other, he helps the bowman.
He will also look after the inboard end of the pole and trip it during dip pole gybes. If you are doing forehatch drops he helps the bowman stuff the kite down the hatch.
Trim 2 and 3, completely depend on the boat and the personell. We use trim one (the most experienced trimmer on the boat) to set up the jib cars, make decisions about trim issues, and take one winch upwind. Trim 2 takes the other winch. Trim 3 tails the sheet through the tacks. So if trim one is trimming the port winch (normal as you're most likely to be on starboard at the start) then they will release that side and get straight on the rail on the new side, whilst trim 3 tails the sheet and trim 2 grinds. When it's nearly all the way in, and you are in speed building mode trim 2 takes the sheet from trim 3, who gets back on the rail, and puts it in the self tailer. Then when up to speed they bring the sheet home. On the other side trim 1 and 2 are reversed.
Downwind trim 1 takes the kite sheet, trim 2 and 3 take a side each. When their side is the guy they look after it, and when it's the other side they grind for trim 1.
GruffT
Well-Known Member
I've just come to the end of my first season racing and I agree on the addicitive comments!
If you don't mind putting your hand in your pocket I can recommend www.sailinglogicracing.co.uk . No connection - just a huge amount learned with great folk in the space of a year and a great time doing it. Only a bit of shouting too. (oh and we won RORC Cherbourg which was a pretty good end to a first season [smug grin])
Also worth the pennies for us city-bound armchair racers are the North U books - Trim in particular is a goldmine for those new to the topic.
All in all - get out there!
If you don't mind putting your hand in your pocket I can recommend www.sailinglogicracing.co.uk . No connection - just a huge amount learned with great folk in the space of a year and a great time doing it. Only a bit of shouting too. (oh and we won RORC Cherbourg which was a pretty good end to a first season [smug grin])
Also worth the pennies for us city-bound armchair racers are the North U books - Trim in particular is a goldmine for those new to the topic.
All in all - get out there!
flaming
Well-Known Member
Out of interest, what do you think you got extra through paying for your racing season that you would not have got by crewing for a private owner?
wotayottie
Well-Known Member
Well after someone winning the RORC Cherbourg, our little achievements pale a bit, but got to tell you Flaming (after all your encouragement) - we got line honours for the first time last Sunday against boats up to 8 foot longer and inc a Bene First. Not bad for 4 fat old men on a cruiser. 
My wife reckons I am becoming obsessed by racing. I think she's right.
My wife reckons I am becoming obsessed by racing. I think she's right.
flaming
Well-Known Member
Well after someone winning the RORC Cherbourg, our little achievements pale a bit, but got to tell you Flaming (after all your encouragement) - we got line honours for the first time last Sunday against boats up to 8 foot longer and inc a Bene First. Not bad for 4 fat old men on a cruiser.
My wife reckons I am becoming obsessed by racing. I think she's right.
Congratulations!
Feels good doesn't it? I find the daily grind doesn't bother me as much on monday morning if we had a good result on Sunday.
Twister_Ken
Well-Known Member
Wotayottie - I've got just the transom for you...
wotayottie
Well-Known Member
Yes indeed. Cheesy grin on Monday gradually fading to anxiety by the following Saturday. And in between times, another 5 phone calls on the eternal subject of "how we can avoid another spinnaker cock up this weekend". It's pathetic really.
wotayottie
Well-Known Member
Like it Ken. But somehow, I dont think SWMBO would approve.
GruffT
Well-Known Member
Hi Flaming,
Sorry it's taken a while to respond - the pressures of work have had me away from the forums for a few days - which I mention as it's relevant.
Due to my work life I'm not able to commit to an entire season with a privateer and by paying I get to race on a competative boat but with the flexibility to fit in with my other commitments. I personally think it's a little unfair to a private crew to be dropping in and out when suits me not the boat. By going with a 'school' people coming and going is the norm and I think people accept that when signing up. That of course cuts both ways as some combinations are better than others...
I would also say that not only were we all put into key positions with novices such as myself being treated no differently to anyone else, we were also taught really well not just what to do but also how to read the situation around us and be pro-active rather than re-active.
All of that said, I've little to compare my experience with and I'm sure the better private skippers out there would do exactly the same however with only limited water time available to me I decided to reduce that risk.
BTW - if anyone is looking for a London based trimmer for next season who may not be able to commit to the whole year but will give 100% when present...I know just the fella.
Sorry it's taken a while to respond - the pressures of work have had me away from the forums for a few days - which I mention as it's relevant.
Due to my work life I'm not able to commit to an entire season with a privateer and by paying I get to race on a competative boat but with the flexibility to fit in with my other commitments. I personally think it's a little unfair to a private crew to be dropping in and out when suits me not the boat. By going with a 'school' people coming and going is the norm and I think people accept that when signing up. That of course cuts both ways as some combinations are better than others...
I would also say that not only were we all put into key positions with novices such as myself being treated no differently to anyone else, we were also taught really well not just what to do but also how to read the situation around us and be pro-active rather than re-active.
All of that said, I've little to compare my experience with and I'm sure the better private skippers out there would do exactly the same however with only limited water time available to me I decided to reduce that risk.
BTW - if anyone is looking for a London based trimmer for next season who may not be able to commit to the whole year but will give 100% when present...I know just the fella.
dt4134
Well-Known Member
Hi GruffT,
I don't know Flaming's opinion, but IMHO that shouldn't stop you racing on a private boat. Owners have to be reasonable and accept that crew have career and family obligations that are occassionally more important than racing (glad I'm protected by anonimity on this forum having said that!).
As long as you're reliable in that you turn up when you say you will and flexible in that you don't mind filling another position, such as mastman maybe, I can't see why you couldn't fit into the pool of crew a private racing boat needs.
Best of luck.
I don't know Flaming's opinion, but IMHO that shouldn't stop you racing on a private boat. Owners have to be reasonable and accept that crew have career and family obligations that are occassionally more important than racing (glad I'm protected by anonimity on this forum having said that!).
As long as you're reliable in that you turn up when you say you will and flexible in that you don't mind filling another position, such as mastman maybe, I can't see why you couldn't fit into the pool of crew a private racing boat needs.
Best of luck.
Last edited:
GruffT
Well-Known Member
As the actress said to the proverbial bishop :
If there's a hole (or should that be role) - I'll fill it. (Edit : or at least do my best!)