Crew at the regatta

Do you want to sail and participate in regattas? You don't have to be a skipper only, there are plenty of positions on a yacht that require different knowledge and skills.

Regatta is a team sport
A racing yacht is a complex sporting apparatus that requires coordinated work of the crew. Victory in a sailing race depends on each participant, even if at first glance his role seems minor and insignificant. It is the correct distribution of forces and mutual understanding in the team that helps to save seconds of precious time, which becomes decisive during the calculation of results.

What determines the composition of a boat
Type of yacht
Sailing yachts come in different lengths and designs, which affects the number of people in the team needed to sail the boat. For example, an Olympic-class Finn centerboard is a boat for solo athletes. A Nacra 17 racing yacht requires two people to steer the boat - a helmsman and a mate. Sailing yacht SB20, on which SportFlot organizes regattas and yachting training, is designed for 3-4 people. For effective work on a cruising yacht up to 50 feet long, 6-7 sailors are enough. But on large racing sailing yachts, for example, maxi class with the length of 18 meters and more, the crew can include 20 sailors.

Type of sailing races
Short day sailing races require fewer competitors. If the regatta involves night racing or non-stop racing, more people are needed on board. Then it will be possible to distribute the watches so that all crew members have time to rest.

Roles on board
Despite the popular motto “you don't need experience for regattas”, a number of positions on board are entrusted to those who already have an idea of how to manage a yacht. At the same time, there are plenty of roles that can be filled by physically strong, hardy and intelligent newcomers.

Buck
Usually the most visible member of the crew as he is located on the bow of the yacht. He keeps constant watch and works in tandem with the helmsman, to whom he reports on the situation and the position of the opponents. He is responsible for setting additional sails.

If you have enough agility, reaction speed, you are good with balance, you are into windsurfing, paragliding, snowboarding or wakeboarding, you will perfectly cope with this role. Strength isn't as important here, which is why athletically fit girls often become bowmen on par with men.

Mastman
Sailor, who takes a position at the roundhouse, is responsible for raising and lowering sails, helps the bowman. The main requirements are physical strength and tall stature.

Pianist
An important link in the team, also called a pitman. On the dexterity of hands and reaction of this sailor depends on the work with all rigging, including halyards, luffs and mainsail. He takes his place in the cockpit next to the stoppers and winches.

To cope with this position, the main thing is to have an impeccable understanding of the location and names of all ropes, to react lightning fast to any incoming command, both from the captain and from other crew members. Physical strength is not so important here.

Shkotovy
This is the sailor who works on the winch with the lines, also called a trimmer. He must have some experience in sailing races to be able to feel the wind and set the sails correctly without waiting for a command from the captain. On a cruising sailboat there are usually two clews, one on each side. They work in tandem with the tallies.

The position of schoolmaster requires stamina, strength and experience in setting sails.

Taller
The sailor who assists the schoolmaster trimmer in working the jib is on the tack. You can take this position even if you don't have a lot of sailing experience, but you are fit, efficient and quick to grasp things.

Helmsman
This is the person who stands at the helm and steers the sailboat, commanding the crew during the race. He is an experienced professional with a special sense of flair and the ability to remain calm even during the pre-start procedure, when you have to dodge other sailing yachts sailing at high speed. The helmsman may combine his role on board with the position of yacht captain, but it is not always the same person, especially on larger yachts during serious sailing competitions.

Tactician
A very important role, which can only be taken by an experienced instructor and racer, who can quickly analyze the situation, anticipate different variants of the sailing race development, correctly place all crew members, and know the rules of sailing races. Somewhat similar to a grandmaster playing a game of chess on the surface of the water. A case where age becomes an advantage. Usually positioned aft to be close to the helmsman.

10 mistakes of novice yachtsmen

Sailing does not forgive carelessness and mistakes. Novice captains who have just come to yachting often forget about important little things, which later can turn out to be a big problem. Let's look at the most popular mistakes and find out how to avoid them when sailing a yacht.

Carelessness with ropes
In a hurry, novice sailors forget to disassemble the ropes and untangle unnecessary knots before they start working with the sails. As a result, the cockpit space becomes like a multi-colored ball of snakes, and at the most inopportune moment you can step on it with your foot, get tangled up, risking injury.

Tip: Make it a rule to always keep the cockpit tidy, and just in case, go through the ropes every time before you start working on the sails. Replace damaged ropes with new ones.

Rope burns and injuries
For some reason, beginners who have barely finished their yachting training think they can do everything quickly and neglect basic safety rules. The most popular mistake is working with winches and ropes without gloves and trying to hold ropes with bare hands. All this - until the first sharp gust, when the yacht weighing several tons will definitely be stronger than the most muscular yachtsman.

Tip: work with rigging in yachting gloves, do not pull sharply the ropes and halyards, but use winches for this purpose. Watch the position of your fingers, perform the actions correctly to avoid damaging your hands.

Long dinghy rope
Even beginners understand: if the rope with which the rubber dinghy (also known as a tuzik) is tied to the yacht is too short, then when crossing the rubber boat will hit the stern of the vessel, from which the property will deteriorate and the crew will feel discomfort. But too long a rope runs the risk of winding up on the propeller, especially when anchoring in a cove where the dinghy will limit your maneuverability.

Tip: before anchoring, make sure that the rope connecting the dinghy to the sailboat is shortened. Or always hoist the rubber dinghy aboard before making long passages.

Improper anchoring
Beginning sailors believe that nothing is easier than anchoring in a wild cove. However, due to their lack of yachting experience, they make a number of mistakes. Firstly, it is the wrong depth chosen, which makes the anchor unable to catch the bottom. Secondly, insufficient chain length is given for overnighting, making the yacht more vulnerable. Thirdly, weather changes are not taken into account, for example, if the wind and waves increase, the anchorage will no longer be safe.

Tip: choose your anchorage carefully, taking all factors into account, and try to stay away from other yachts to avoid anchors getting tangled.

Abrupt lifting of the anchor
An anchor hole under the bowsprit is one of the most popular damages during a charter. The fact is that when raising the anchor before leaving the anchorage, the yachtsman does not even look at how fast the anchor rises and with what force it can hit the yacht with its sharp ends.

Tip: Raise the anchor gradually, at slow speed, with a few points in mind. Raise the anchor above the water, making sure it is clean and in position. Then carefully lay it back down to its original position without any sudden movements.

Lack of a plan of action
Typical newbie yachting behavior is making last-minute decisions and giving conflicting commands to the crew, which inevitably wreaks havoc during a sailing competition or mooring in the marina.

The solution: think through the sequence of your actions in advance. If necessary, write it down or talk it through with your crew. With experience, this will become automatic.

Ignoring the weather forecast
Beginning yachtsmen for some reason do not consider it necessary to specify what surprises of nature can wait for them at sea. But he who is warned is armed. Information about the weather and wind direction will help you choose a more comfortable anchorage for the night, avoid storms and take care of equipment in advance.

Tip: Download a weather forecast app for boaters and make it a habit to open it every time before you leave a safe anchorage or go camping for a few days.

Failed mooring in the marina
There is a reason why mooring is emphasized during yachting instruction, as it is one of the conditions for obtaining a license. However, many people lack practice. It is often possible to hit the moorings of nearby yachts with your keel, bump your stern on the pier or bump into other boats.

Tip: move in the marina at low speed, carefully watch the distance to other boats, take into account the wind direction, hang outboard and aft cranes in advance, if you are not sure of your strength or tired - call a mariner who will help you dock.

Lack of suitable equipment
It may be cool to stand barefoot and bare-chested at the helm of a yacht with the wind tangling in your hair. But not wearing headgear can lead to sunstroke, handling ropes with bare hands can lead to bloody palms, and slip-on or non-slip-off shoes can lead to injuries and fractures.

Tip: use shoes and gloves when working on the boat, do not be in direct sunshine without headgear.

Dehydration
When you are constantly on the water, you are somehow less thirsty, but your body loses much more moisture than on land. If you forget to drink water, you risk dehydration.

Tip: drink more water if you need to, set yourself a reminder or have someone else do this important mission. Purchase handy closed mugs or individual reusable water bottles.