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.