COMMUNICATION ON BOARD On the subject of communication, it is very important to teach your students from the start that how they say something is almost as important as what they say. If they sense that their boat is slow, they may say, “We are really slow.” Though they are correct in the assessment, their statement contains little useful information. If they notice they are slow and see another boat moving faster that has more weight on the windward rail, they can say, “So and so is going faster with more weight on the rail.” If the skipper is concentrating hard and suddenly hears, “I can’t believe you let them sail right over us,” it’s hard to blame them for getting slightly overheated. The crew should tell the skipper that another boat was footing faster above them so they could make adjustments and minimize the impact.
The largest challenge for sailors, particularly those used to single-handed boats, is to get along with someone else in the sailboat. Take time ashore after class, or the next morning, to get the sailors together and talk out what is happening in the sailboat and how they are communicating with each other. Try to unearth the cause for the tension. Help the sailors figure out how they can avoid the cause next time. When appropriate, have them share their insights with the group. Helping your students learn to get along in tight quarters and under pressure is one of the greatest contributions you can make to them.
Matching Skipper and Crew There are two conflicting interests involved in the skipper-crew choice. On one hand, students should have an opportunity to sail with many different sailors so they can learn from each other. Advanced level student may want the challenge of competition, and will need time in the sailboat together with a specific partner to learn to function as a team in order to compete with a high level of proficiency. A good instructor will know how to balance these two interests.
What to consider when pairing skippers and crew: E Physical Size: Your sailors should be paired up in combinations that are suitable for a given type of sailboat. As a skilled instructor, you should place sailors in weight and height combinations that will allow them to sail the boat successfully and competitively.
E Personality Types: When pairing skippers and crews, you need to know which sailors get along with each other and which don’t. Students who dislike each other should not have to spend the whole sailing season with each other. Be aware that interpersonal relationships tend to be in a constant state of flux, and your students will feel no particular obligation to tell you who they get along with and who they don’t.
E Goals: Different sailors will have different goals. Consider who may be trying to go into a competition, versus who may just enjoy being on the water and sailing well.
E Schedules: You may not have all of your students for the whole sailing season. Make sure that you can manage sailor pairings accordingly.
E Skill Level: Your best sailors will naturally want to sail with each other, and some of them may not want to sail with less experienced members of the class.
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