LSC Crew Notes - June 25, 2003

Information for Crew Involved in Racing with Members of the Lansing Sailing Club.

Great Sailing Yesterday
It was a beautiful evening on the water yesterday. Sorry not everyone could be there to enjoy it. Try next Tuesday - details later in these notes.

Lisa Winters Wins First Crew Race
We held our first crew races of the season at the end of practice yesterday. Lisa Winters won it. Jim Fletcher was second and Klaus Blache third. In a second race, Jim Fletcher nosed out Lisa Winters with Klaus Blache third again.

Raising the Jib
When raising the Lightning jib, a crew member can do this very smoothly and efficiently by pulling the halyard in long clean strokes - alternating between right and left arms. With just a little practice in using this technique, the jib goes up very quickly (3 to 4 strokes usually) without bouncing the boat.

"Own" Your Part of the Boat
A crew member, like any professional, develops a preferred way of performing their role on the boat - and often builds a "tool kit" of things that help do the job. When crewing on a boat, regard your part of the boat as your "office". Set it up the way it works best for you. Don't hesitate to bring your own tools. For example, many crew like to use dry erase markers to mark sail control lines to aid in quickly finding rough trim positions. It is customary to ask the skipper if it is ok to do this - but most are glad to have a crew member take this kind of initiative.

Ask Questions When Unsure
If there is any doubt in your mind about a procedure or plan - ask. Sometimes the most important role that can be played on the boat during a race is to ask a question for clarification. For example, if no one has said anything coming into the windward mark - an important question would be "What kind of spinnaker set are we going to do - a bear away, a gybe set or a floating set?" This helps everyone in the boat because the answer is usually key to the order in which things are done - and sometimes who will be performing various tasks. It also doesn't hurt to ask questions to clarify a procedure. For example, if a gybe set is going to be done, it will help everyone to review whether the jib should come down before or after putting the pole on the spinnaker.

Practice Tuesday, July 1
Please feel welcome to join us for some practice next Tuesday - 6 PM to sundown. It is helpful to email Pat Dolan, LSC's Crew Coordinator ahead of time to let him know you are coming. This will help assure sufficient boats will be available to accommodate those participating. You can just show up - but no guarantees on whether there will be a spot for you. The goal is to to provide a structured opportunity for crew and skippers to expand their sailing skills. We will be doing this every Tuesday evening as long as there is an interest. Only lightning and very high winds keep us off the water. Assume we are practicing. If weather conditions are really bad, we have plenty of video to watch and "chalk talks" ready.