CREW RESPONSIBILITIES & SKILLS It is important to stress to the crews that they are not passengers along for the


ride. They are an equally important part of making the sailboat move as efficiently as possible. Their basic responsibilities include: lookout, anticipation, jib trim, balance, hiking, centerboard control, and communication. Sailors say, the crew steers with the gas pedal and the skipper steers with the brake.


Lookout The crew is truly the “eyes” of the sailboat. The skipper’s view is often obstructed by the sails and they are focused on steering the sailboat. The crew should be looking around for approaching sailboats, puffs of wind, and other activity out on the water. An excellent drill for intermediate and advanced sailors is to blindfold the skipper, allowing the crew to practice communicating as a lookout. Encourage the crews to describe what is happening around them on the water, so that the skipper has a clear picture in their head as to what is going on.


Note: This drill should be conducted in a very controlled environment with moderate breeze and calm water. With intermediate sailors, it is best to have only a few skippers blind- folded at a time.


Anticipation The best crews need very little verbal direction from the skipper about what to do to keep the sailboat balanced, moving forward, or stopping. Trying to think ahead and being ready are the most important characteristics of a good crew. This is a compelling reason for students who normally sail as crew to be given the opportunity to skipper in class, and encouraged to pay equal attention to discussions on the skipper’s role and responsibilities.


Jib Trim The crew must learn how to trim the jib properly using telltales. Remind them that the jib is the first sail the wind hits and is therefore the most important even though it may be smaller than the mainsail.


Close-hauled When sailing close-hauled, the jib is trimmed in fairly tight without over-trimming it. You may have to demonstrate just how tight to trim it in a variety of wind conditions. Use reference points such as the distance of the clew from the jib lead, the distance of the foot of the sail from the splash rail, or the tension on the foot of the jib. Another method is having your students make marks on their sheets or on the deck of the boat as a reference while sailing. Teach your more advanced students to look at the the slot and the twist in the leech of the jib to determine proper jib trim.


This can be seen best in a demonstration and from a safety-rescue boat following behind a sailboat beating upwind. If the jib is trimmed correctly for the conditions, explain that the skipper needs to adjust course to keep the telltales flying straight back. No adjustment of the jib sheet should be necessary. As your students improve, teach the crews to make slight adjustments in the jib trim as wind strength or wind shifts change.


58 Table of Contents


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