My last post might have you a little worried, but there is a chance for you to have your say too as I'm also putting together an article on crewing and would really like some feedback from helms on the best things about your crew from a technique point of view.
whether its pulling the kicker on at the leward mark, calling the gusts or making sure there's enough food and water on board please send all thoughts to sophiemackley(at)hotmail.com - the best ones will be published
many thanks
Sophie
Someone who is happy to help unpack the boat and pack it up again, gets the course (right), buys their round at the bar, doesn't moan, doesn't mind getting wet, understands where the wind is coming from and doesn't wait to be told to shout Starboard. Most important of all, someone who has a sense of humour!
Also understands the benefits of PIES (or, in respect of younger crews) fruit pastilles . . . .
RM
What!? - Crews do all that stuff? Must tell Alex...but he'd probably forget.
Actually that's harsh on a 9yo. For me the best things are - enjoys himself and doesn't moan when the helm steers the boat down the fleet.
Mike
N3491
N3274
I agree with MikeS comments - it can be quite difficult to keep youngsters motivated. It seems we have quite a few boats out know with younger crews (sub teenager at least) - any ideas on how we could keep them more interested in 12 sailing? Is there any demand for specific young persons crew training?? My #1 crew is now getting too big and with exams etc is less committed.
In not too many years from now there should be an influx of other family crews from the current top end of the fleet!!
[quote by=Roly_Mo link=Blah.cgi?b=Cool1,m=1194422637,s=1 date=1194445317]
doesn't wait to be told to shout Starboard. [/quote]
I'd say the opposite here - I want the crew to be telling me about other boats but I want to be able to make the decision about whether to call them or dip myself. The last thing you need is a boat camped on your lee bow when you're going the right way!
Bit general but I think reliability and enthusiasm are the most important aspects - though obviously being able to straight leg hike for the whole burton cup and drag the boat singlehanded up Porthpean slip while weighing less than 8 stone are pretty essential too....
:P
I need the little crews to lose concentration quickly! It is the only advantage my larger, less flexible body has over them! Well some days anyway - sometimes I have no advantage at all.
Jane
Jane, you have nothing to worry about - your helm was one of very few that has replied!
Thanks to those that have emailed me, but its looking like being a very short article. More input appreciated - and feel free to email sugestions for future articles.
Cheers
Sophie
I think that what you want from a crew changes as the crew gets older and therefore more experinced. As RM said standing your round at the bar and unloading boats from the top of double stackers is great if you are an adult, but if you crewing with your small son/daughter then the whole thing changes and becomes more akin to what Mike has posted.
The thing that should be said for either age or ability group is that they enjoy what they are doing.
Sophie,
I hope that you are going to tie the two articles together somehow. I have always thought that it is very unfair (although entirely logical and unavoidable) that the best crews and helms insist on sailing together. It is hard for a learner crew to teach a learning helm, and vice versa. This is something we are constantly trying to tackle when we look at how to run training in the future.
For me all I ask is that my crew is always enthusiastic and dependable, a tactical genius and can move about the boat so well that my own stumbles are not an issue. Unfortunately I think that they also have to put up with my occassionally shorter than desirable temper, and realise that i am not complaining about them but just to them.
I am very aware that i have been very lucky with my main crews, my sister, Rich Bailey and Jo are right up there on all counts. I could write you a short, and hopefully amusing series of annecdotes about the people that i have had the pleasure of saiilng the 12 with, but it might not be a good idea.
Antony
Given that Pitsford was nice and calm, and my daughter Tori was doing her first full open, most of you probably heard first-and some of my "suggestions" on what crews should do.
That aside, I think there is a concensus developing here.
The teamwork and attitude elements seem to be regarded as more important than the pure mechanics of getting the boat round the course.
Perhaps the driver does make the final calls on where the boat goes,but it is always more fun if you BOTH feel like it is a team effort.
This includes the little touches like covering for each others mistakes and not pointing them out.
Turning up in good time to help with the boat and not clearing off as soon as it is in it's space.
Retaining a reasonable level of concentration even when the race seems less than thrilling and the result looks like being dire.
Some of the most basic things are done differently by some helms and some crews. This doesn't mean there is a right or a wrong way, but it is a very good idea if you know what each other is expecting.
Tolerance and good humour go a long way in surviving and enjoying your sailing - this applies equally to helms and crews.
Is there another article coming on Crew's Heroic Saves - I can remember a few of those.
For those of you who remember Howard Stevenson; he will now only sail his 14 with one crew because he reckons he has got so slow and stuck in his ways that he needs his "Get out of Jail" card on a regular basis and there is only one person he trusts to do that!
I would also like a crew that doesn't grow too quickly - now #1 is trained up he's just getting too big to be upfront!! Not sure if he's keen to try the back end.
Jimbo you need to be careful - posts like that one could leave you crewless!! We crews at all levels stick together.
Besides helms don't train crews it is the other way around!
Jane
Jabadabadoooo! Coming to BW to make a splosh!!!!???????????????
Hardly but are you contemplating ending your career sailing a laser? Jane has a point perhaps.
My crew (tochter) has competing interests with crewing for me but remains my best crew as whilst she has not sailed lots in a 12 is intuitive in her behaviour and responds to tricky situations with little or no direction on my part. (Mind you we've had our "moments" also!)
To add to the debate I had the good fortune to have a guest (save her blushes) crew for me (first time but I hope not the last) at Ripon. She too was fairly intuitive - she knew what and how to do things, followed instructions when asked, never criticised, gave positive suggestions and observations as she knew the water, maintaind her focus and concentration - with little input from me leaving me to keep my head out of the boat with the confidence that our race was good. We did fairly well, improving each race and I never felt that our performance was damaged by crew activities, leaving me to take full honours in my own down fall and self induced errors.
Not a precise answer but you know a good crew when you have one.
Verflucht nochmal Ich Mus selb sehen ober dieser sacher evig dauern wird blah blah blah.. annswers on a post card..
Hi Martina I think you are quite wise to apply a reality filter, it helps things to stay upright, level headed and dry!but persevere with the passsion thing, jim will conker it!
What?
yeah come on Jim, some of had to give up German before we took it at O level, you could be writing a load of expletives there!!!!
I can assure you that there's no really offensive language in use here. Purely the slang one might use in response to the comments made by Charles Dickens. Oh and you might find that out purely by using an online dictionary. In short - don't expect anything greight from me.
Cheers!
Jim. (one must be good at something - if not at the head of the fleet!)
Hey,
just going back to what makes a good crew...... i have found it is often knowing what you, the helm, is like will mean what your crew should be like.... For example i like to win so if my crew doesnt like to win then erm we ant going to get along... I like to sail quitely( believe it or not) so if my crew like to voice opinions then we wont get along.... This is why i think if the helm knows how he likes to sail then he can chose the crew or the crew can chose the helm. From experiance some crews have more skill than others but this doesnt really matter its more of a team game, me being light means i need a heavy crew or a super fit light weight..... Not sure if this makes any sense but just a few of my thoughts
Jimmy
As some of you may know I also sail a B14 (skiff) where the crew does as much, if not more than the helm in the sailing of the ship. Crewing a National 12 has helped me no end when I jumped into the B for the first time. My helm and I adopt a "teamwork" attitude. Good communication is essential and I'm afraid so is experience. There's no point whatsoever expecting a person who has never crewed at all or who has limited experience in crewing to be able to jump into a National 12 and crew to winning standard. If I can remember back that far the 1st time I crewed a National 12 I had'nt a clue, and the result spoke for itself! The weight distribution is a major factor the times I see helms hiking for all they are worth whilst the crew sits there on the seat doing b***er all! The main rule is KEEP IT FLAT!!!!!! and COMMUNICATE and I don't mean shout or sulk and LEARN BY YOUR MISTAKES and LISTEN TO YOUR HELM If he or she has more experience than you. And lastly remember YOU ARE A TEAM the only way you will win or even come close is to work as a team and if you don't you'll only build resentment and that is non-productive. My helm and I win on a regular basis but it's taken a while as his ex-wife who used to crew was good and I was not. Now I am good we make it happen.
Hope this helps
Janey
I completely agree with Janey, the key is good teamwork and respect for each other.
Steve & I outside the actual race debate everything from how to initialy fit out the boat, how to use practice time, the rig set up, what the weather is going to do, where to start and after the race what went right and what went wrong.
Just before the start we drop into race mode when the communication is one way and much more about the simple fact of what is going on / needed. Whilst the best balance for the various tasks will be dependant upon the two individuals. We find that Steve will concentrate on sailing the boat where he wants to go; whilst I will be balancing the boat, constantly monitoring and informing him of the wind direction and situation of other boats and lay lines. Once we are both on the side I will often be the one tweak the control lines having checked with Steve.
The most important thing after respect for each other is practice time outside of racing.This is the time in which you can learn the most about the boat and from each other. To put it in context we probably used to spend more time on the water practicing than we did racing when we won the Burton in 1993 and on our return in 2007.
Above all else it has to be fun for both of you.
[quote by=Andy_Hill link=Blah.cgi?b=Cool1,m=1194422637,s=24 date=1196258893]
Above all else it has to be fun for both of you.[/quote]
Yes...and Fun as well!!!!!! and it IS ;D
Janey