Helmsman dicing with death

This is a section from the reporting at the recent hobie 16 [&Dragoon] Europeans.
What would happen if you said this to a reporter after a days hard racing


"Jerome Le Gall and Enrick Obert had more difficulties today and dropped from the first to the third place overall. They finished 5-12-10. Le Gall: “My crew was not really in the race. He made many mistakes. I think it was a lack of concentration.” "

"So what's the problem" <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I think I'd be sailing single hand the next day.

Wow! Talk about throwing your crew under a bus....

Rememeber, all good races are a credit to the helmsman. All bad races are crews fault! ;-)

Hopefully my crew isn't reading this!

If that guy says stuff like that publicly... imagine the hell the crew is going through on the boat!
Guess the guy has people lining up to crew for him.

Good crew is way too hard to find to go around saying stuff like that. I would never point blame for a bad race at my crew, with as much as there is going on on our boats it truly is a team effort to win (or loose) a race.

Or perhaps they are good friends and this was the conclusion of their after-race evaluation? Perhaps the crew learnt he was about to become a father just before leving the beach. That would certainly unsettle most of us.
Does sound a bit like the good old "blaming" game, explaining a sub-standard performance tough <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Although a loss is usually my crew's fault, I would never say anything like that. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I am beginning to see the advantages and disadvantages of sailing/racing solo.

Oh, I see.....ONE downhaul line gets tangled in ONE spin block and we go from 1st to 4th and as a result don't win the regatta and it's MY fault?????? OK, I guess that one was. :-(

My pet peeve as crew- getting yelled at one second for not calling another boat then getting yelled at the next for calling a boat.

You know I'm kidding - besides, I think I tied those there. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Of course. All in fun!

EVERYTHING is Slaughter's fault. Karl, you could probably hear us yelling even as far ahead as you were at GYC two weeks ago.

Pinching - his fault
bad tacks - his fault
delaminating mainsail - his fault
wrong course (1988 course sticker) - definitely his fault
getting pinned by a supercat 15 - his fault
beating most of you guys boat-for-boat in a no wind, one leg drifter - my fault (lucky zephyr, but I'll take credit)

Watching Seth try to pitchpole in 0 wind was funny, too...

Everyone knows the definition of a good crew!
“A good crew shall be beautiful, female 18 to 20 years old, shall always look after the boat off the water, have it rigged and waiting ready to go when the skipper gets to the beach, wait until the skipper is settled on the boat before pushing it into the water, NEVER argue with the skipper, make all the right moves whilst sailing (including continuously praising the skills of the skipper and complementing him on his good looks, suaveness and his brilliance as a sailer), Throw themselves between their boat and any obstacle that looks like coming in contact with the boat so as to avoid any possible damage to the boat, jump off into the surf when coming to shore and beach the boat gently so as not to disturb the rum and coke (with ice) that she has rightfully given to the skipper on the way back to shore, derig, wash and pack up the boat while the skipper is having his well earned hot shower, and be on hand to buy her skipper the many congratulatory drinks at the bar that he deserves, and all the while telling all the other lesser mortals just how well HER skipper sailed the race”.

From a very old Hobie Hotline.

CREW AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT

by Spence Lycan

"How to handle a crewperson, mark me well spoke the wise old man. The way to handle crewpersons, is with swift strokes, using back of hand." Cap'n Arthur, HMS CAMELOT

"Don't leave home without 'em." Edward Teach

This article is written by a skipper for same. Should a literate crew stumble across these candid words, stand reminded that the truth, like the sun, can burn and irritate. Further, the very basis of a skipper/crew relationship is that of enlightenment by the skipper of the unapprised crew. This relationship is of classic lines, of give and take. The skipper gives the commands. The crew takes them. While platitudes are written of the competition between boats, the real action is on each boat, between skipper and crew. The skipper tries to break in the crew before the crew can break up the boat. Even if you sail without crew nor jib, read on to learn what it is all about.

Instant success is rarely the mark of a novice racer. A new skipper will need several minutes of experience before commanding others with alacrity and probity. But crews necessarily require several years hard work before earning respect due their station of life. Thus the Skipper's Prime Directive is the transformation of scurrilous anthropoids into attentive crewpersons, responsive to their sailing master. Verily, good crews are made, not born, by great skippers.

Aboard my Hobie, all them that ain't driving are crewing. My crew duty assignments are simplistic, serving as positive reinforcement upon completion. Hopefully the future will show a significant increase in responsible crew duties. But at present, the crew trims the jib, calls starting time, maintains boat trim, monitors shifting wind and weather conditions, calculates tidal set, makes minor fine-tuning sail plan adjustments, watches for leeward and crossing boats with right-of-way, calls laylines, performs basic trailer maintenance, makes periodic van or RV tune-ups, packs all foodstuffs and equipment and prepares the occasional meal over the weekend. As skipper, the onerous duties of finding the regatta and then wiggling the stick dominate my time. None the less, I insist on splitting all remaining contingencies, right down the middle. The skipper shoulders the praise, the crew the blame.

When the day's long hot races are finished, it is time to find a shady keg around which sea stories, suds and lounging comradely is shared with other skippers. This tranquility will be broken only by the comfortable sounds of the crews washing down the boats, putting up the tents and preparing the evening barbecue. Take this time to share of yourself and your thoughts with your crew. Eventually wander over and gently critique those times when the crew's responses cost valuable time and boat position. As a caring skipper, let the crew know that you care enough to get the very best, no matter what the pain, to the crew. Remember skippers, only one skipper can win each race, but all are winners who strive to meet Captain William Bligh's firm but fair standards, established for South Sea cruisers, back in the late 1780's.

What's a Crew?

Is this a Test??

Crew - (K' r-oo):
(1) a useless appendage on sail craft designed to inadvertantly hinder the performance of said craft
(2) Skipper's assistant tasked with maintenance, navigation, cooking, bottom cleaning, tactics, car maintenance and other menial tasks
(3) (insert picture of me here) <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

antonyms: skipper, human being, owner
synonyms: useless, dumb-butt, "hey you", "one who hangs upside down in harness", tard

Don't forget-

#4 A semi soft object to cushion the blow of a boom in a jibe, preventing undue shock in rigging.

#5 - Spray deflector

# 6 Rail Meat. Owner gave me his F-27 Tri to race while he was on vacation. His sister in law shows up and asks what she needs to do? "Your rail meat" sit down where we tell you. FYI: Not an appropriate term for a woman in her thirtys. I've been paying for that remark ever since.

Good crew is a good sailor in his or her own right.
Should be able to take the helm and sail the boat very successfully.
Just as many bad owners as crew.
Skip should be the better sailor and tactician. If that person is the forward hand and called tactician...still the skip..the other guy just owns the boat.

Your correct. We are just having fun, (and telling stories)
I crewed in the Queens Cup across Lk. Michigan on a F-28. The owner had been on his own boat twice before that night. The best guy driving was a 23 year old friend. His father was sail trimmer and I was foredeck. When the weather got rough the owner wouldn't drive, the three of us would.

When we raced my Hobie 18 the kid would steer and I would call tactics. He's very good at helming. Being a good owner/skipper is knowing what each crew does well and giving them the opportunity to get better while still doing some crosstraining for other positions on the boat.

Realistically I think that the crew has a more important role in keeping the boat going fast than the skipper. Even on a simpler boat like a H16. Meaning non-spin.

OK, so that was a leading question. For you parents with children crewing for you, do not miss the chance to give them the helm. Tom took over on our H-16 at 14, later was skipper on our H-18. We are now all three "crew less", but it is time for Tom to get Dan on a boat as crew, then skipper. And so the cycle continues.

Caleb H-17 6446
Tom H-17 6185
Dan Wave Number 4

Crew - (K' r-oo):
(1) a useless appendage on sail craft designed to inadvertantly hinder the performance of said craft
(2) Skipper's assistant tasked with maintenance, navigation, cooking, bottom cleaning, tactics, car maintenance and other menial tasks



Insert pic of me after #1! LOLOL!