1. Published on MadMariner.com (http://madmariner.com)
Race Aboard Other People's Sailboats
By Tom Russell
I sail 30 to 40 days a year, but I don't own a boat. Instead, I help other people sail their boats.
I race because being on the water is delightful, the competition is stimulating, and I've made many friends. People involved in sailing and racing are generally
nice, and they are happy to share their passion.
In almost any waterfront city, you have a good chance of finding a boat to sail on. It won't cost
you much more than your time and a little physical activity. If you have the urge, here's how to
find a ride that leaves the dock a couple times each week.
HOW I GOT INVOLVED
I was six when I first started sailing. My family would put an 11-foot dinghy on a trailer and head
from Ohio to the Maryland shore. It was my job to make sure no oars bounced onto the freeway,
which I did while kneeling backward on the car seat. By the time I was in junior high, I spent
weeks during the summer sailing back and forth in front of a stretch of western Lake Erie beach.
The feel of the wind and water against the boat was mesmerizing. My sailing was mostly self-
taught, informal and a lot of fun.
In college, I was dockmaster of a Cleveland marina, and I spent my time tying up boats and
making repairs. One October day, a mechanic working on a boat mentioned racing. I asked if he
needed crew, and he told me to meet him on the dock that weekend.
Now, I had lots of small-boat time, but only a little experience on big sailboats, and I had never
raced. Despite this, I spent that October day on a boat called Outlet Express, observing a well-
rehearsed team. As a result of the crew knowing what they were doing and the boat being fast,
TOM RUSSELL
we took first place. Afterward, the entire club sipped hot buttered rum on the dock to celebrate. I
A JBoat practices a spinnaker run after a race
didn't race again for a few years, but the memory of slicing across the water and the easy
during Cleveland Race Week at Edgewater Yacht
camaraderie on the docks remained clear.
Club, June 2007.
It was winter a few years later when I told friends of my interest in racing. One of them e-mailed
me with information about a boat looking for crew. I called the owner, and in May I was on board Bad Influence for a practice sail. By June I was racing three
times a week at Edgewater Yacht Club, a few miles west of the downtown Cleveland skyline.
Bad Influence is a Tartan Ten, a design nicknamed the T-10. The boat is 10 meters long – hence the name – or about 33 feet. Dating to 1978, more than 380
T-10s have been built, according to Tartan Ten Class fleet secretary Stan Mehaffey, with 98 in the national class membership. Forty-six are in Chicago, with
others in fleets throughout the Great Lakes and other parts of the country. While many don't race, the ones that do often race in their own one-design fleets,
meaning that all the boats participating are Tartan Tens. A benefit of one-design racing is that time handicaps aren't needed, since the boats are nearly
2. identical. The races have their own start (classes technically have their own starts within one
race), and the winner is the boat that crosses the finish line first.
After I joined the Bad Influence crew, I
realized that finding a boat to race the
second time was just as simple as
finding the first: I only had to ask
around. Over time I learned my share
of sailing skills, but I also learned that
many boats look for a good attitude
over experience. A T-10 in Chicago
named Rover, for example, embraces
the same spirit that many club racing
boats do regarding crew. quot;Enthusiasm,
willingness to learn and dependability
are valued above sailing expertise,quot; a
statement on its Web site reads.
STAN MEHAFFEY
Rover's crew also believes that being
The author sets the spinnaker pole. The pole competitive is key, but safety and
supports the spinnaker, the large colorful sail used enjoyment are priorities.
STAN MEHAFFEY
while sailing downwind.
FINDING A RACE BOAT Even novices can learn to hoist the spinnaker as
well as other duties.
So who races? People from all backgrounds are on the water any given race day. It doesn't matter
when you were born or what you do from 9 to 5 if you can be on the dock at 5:30. This season, for example, I have sailed with engineers, machinists, law
students, retirees, nurses, IT analysts and firemen. The common ground is that everyone enjoys being on the water. A race takes concentration, and it clears
the mind of other day-to-day clutter. When the boat leaves the dock, conversation is about strategy, wind and boat handling. Thoughts of the workplace are
left on shore.
If you don't know someone who can introduce you to sailors, then search the Web using your city name and quot;yacht clubquot; as search terms. Skim the resulting
club Web sites for racing or sailing sections. Corinthian Chicago Yacht Club's Web site, for instance, has a Crew Development section where owners post the
experience level sought and their contact information. Other clubs set up crew boards so that people looking to get on board a boat can post their names. I
have personally used one with success. When Bad Influence couldn't make the trip to Chicago to race in the T-10 North American Championship, I looked up
the fleet Web site and added my name to the crew board. I received an email within 12 hours, from Nick Camino, who races Billy Bones at the Chicago Yacht
Club. Camino normally uses a network of friends to keep his boat crewed, but when some team members dropped out, he scanned the online list and saw my
name. We spoke, I drove to Chicago, and I spent four days on Lake Michigan racing with a fun group and lots of wind.
Whether you reply to an owner's post or add your name to a crew board, sometimes the competition you face from other would-be racers can be tough. Liz
Wolfe, who lives in Manhasset, New York, posted her name on the Manhasset Bay Yacht Club's Join a Crew page. Even though she landed a position on
Second Wind, a 32-foot C&C, and races every Thursday night, she found herself vying for spots with midshipmen, since the Merchant Marine Academy is not
far away. Still, the important thing to remember is that Wolfe found a boat after listing herself as a novice.
It's also worthwhile to look for the racing chairman's name on a club's Web site and arrange a visit. He or she will probably meet you on the docks on race
day and have a boat or two in mind for you to try. Some clubs, like Mentor Harbor Yachting Club, located about 20 miles east of Cleveland, list the Race
Program Chairman under the Sailing Program section, along with his e-mail. If you don't see the chairman's contact information, call the club office.
If you're a woman, some clubs offer women's racing. North Coast Women's Sailing Association in Cleveland encourages its members to quot;Sail Like a Girl,quot; a
tagline challenging its members to excel as only a woman can. Sailing occurs in summer months, with seminars and guest speakers during the winter. The
180-member-strong group allows male coaches on board who can talk but cannot touch the gear. quot;It's all about promoting women to be more competitive,quot;
says race chair Kelly Kimble, who skippers a 22-foot Ensign named MBSS Medalla.
3. Not all sailing happens on the Great
Lakes and the coasts. Five hundred
miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico,
serious competition occurs at
Oklahoma City Boat Club. With no salt
water in sight, 2,500-acre Lake Hefner
still sees top-level events, including
the 2008 U.S. Women's Sailing
Championship in September.
The welcome mat is also out for new
sailors in Southern California. Lee
Rhodes, the race chairman for Santa
Monica Windjammers Yacht Club,
suggests that newcomers also
volunteer for Race Committee. The
Race Committee works on a powerboat
DAVE METHIAS STAN MEHAFFEY
that motors out to the course and
Skipper Kelly Kimble (red jacket with yellow drops anchor, marking one end of the Join a race comittee to learn about wind readings,
square) at the helm during a race. Boat owner and start line. Those on board are kept watching for boats crossing the line early and
coach Nick Lubar (to her left) gives tips, but can't busy with a list of tasks, including marking finish times.
touch the helm or other controls. taking wind readings, selecting and
announcing the course, checking in boats for the race, prepping fleet starts, watching for boats
crossing the line early and marking finish times.
Whichever boat you join, you'll learn on the job as you go, and you will likely try various positions to see what fits your preference and the boat's need. After
a season or so on the water, you may find you have a preference for a certain type of sailing. quot;Once you start to sail, you become part of a community,quot; says
Trever Dodge, who races aboard Coyote in Cleveland. quot;There are many opportunities to sail club races, day sails or long distance races. The variety allows
you to find the pace and shipmates that best match your interests.quot;
COST AND COMMITMENT
If you crew, you won't be paid unless you're a highly skilled professional, but you won't have to
pay, either. Crewmembers give their time each week to help rig and race the boat in trade for a
ride on the water. The boat owner needs more than one person to race, after all, with many boats
needing eight or more people to do well in competition. It's a fair trade, and everyone has a fun
time.
Owners generally pay for expenses directly related to the boat such as dockage, fuel, sails, lines
and other equipment. The crew is responsible for anything they need for themselves. Crew
necessities include non-marking non-slip shoes, which generally cost $20 to $75, and sailing
gloves, which cost $20 to $35. The right shoes are important to prevent slipping on wet decks,
and gloves are needed to prevent rope burns when handling lines. If you like, seek advice from
others on board before heading to the store. As for other expenses, it's common for crew to split
the cost of boat snacks. Dress is almost always casual, and shipmates tend to be cordial.
The time commitment can vary, depending on your availability and the ship's program. I've
found that many boats race at least once a week, with some racing as much as four times a
Limit Up, an Ensign skippered by Sherrie Desmond, week. Boats also race one weeknight and one or two half weekend days. A committed
crewmember will sail at least once a week, more for those who want to learn the sport faster.
