Crew Positions – The Basics

Quite often I find myself explaining crew positions as we are on the way out to our start … this winter season we are going to try something different … by getting everyone clear on their role as we move around the track.

Though this has been drafted for Jem, a Sydney 47CR, the tasks for each position are about the same in most keel boats over 30 feet…running an asymmetric kite.

Knowing about these crew positions and understanding what you should be doing will always help your chances of getting a good position on the boat …

The Key Positions on the boat are:

• Helmsman / Skipper
• Tactician (& Backstay)
• Main trimmer
• Port Trimmer
• Starboard Trimmer
• Grinder
• Mast – on some boats this is known as pitman, but for Jem most of these controls are located at the mast
• Bowman

A common language to start

In sailing there are a lot of terms that describe the same thing.

Sails. The upwind Headsail may be called the Genoa, Genny, Jib, L1, M1, H1, 2, 3, 4, Blade, 150, 130, etc. If you hear any of these terms they refer to the Headsail of choice.

A Spinnaker can be called a chute, a kite, 3/4 or 1/2 oz, the A2, A3, A4 or in days past the F&%k, F&%k Sail, so named because of the angst it has the potential to cause.

Lines. A line or rope can be called many things depending on their usage. Lines to pull sails up are called Halyards, and lines to pull booms or poles up are called topping lifts or uphauls.

Lines used to pull sails in are almost always called sheets.

Any line to pull the luff of a sail down tight should now be called a Cunningham because downhaul was far to easy a term to misunderstand.

Tacking can be called “Coming About”, changing tacks, or you might hear ” We are gong Lee to Bow”. This means the boat will tack slightly to leeward of an approaching boat to gain tactical advantage.

Now that you have the terms, let’s go through the manoeuvres

The Start (typical starboard approach)

• Helmsman – Get a good position in the fleet with room to duck and come up
• Tactician – Check wind shifts and determine the favored side of line and course. Call Time.
• Main – Keep main trimmed fully unless told otherwise. Be ready to dump the entire sail if necessary. Trim hard and fast on final approach giving the boat full power.
• Port Trimmer – Let Helmsman know of leeward boats. Grind for Starboard Trimmer on Port Tack. Trim to full speed unless told otherwise. Call Genoa skirt on final approach.
• Starboard Trimmer – Let Helmsman know of leeward boats while on port tack. Trim to full speed. Grind for port trimmer. Wrap starboard winch. Get to rail.
• Mast – Call Time, Double check all sheetstoppers. Get to rail. Watch for kelp.
• Bowman – On bow calling approaching boats and distance to the line. Don’t forget genoa skirting.
• Rail - Windward rail or leeward rail in light wind as directed by the Tactician

Tacking to Weather

• Helmsman – Call “Tacking”. Start to tack slowly to maximize weather gain. Then quickly find opposite tack angle after crossing head to wind.
• Tactician – Look for a clear lane. Make sure there is breeze where you are heading. Call in coming wind shifts and gusts
• Maintrimmer – Ease main per boat stability to allow boat to tack easier. Then trim as the boat accelerates.
• Existing Trimmer – Cut Sheet as boat gets head to wind. Grind for New Trimmer. Get to Rail.
• New Trimmer – Tail sheet. Trim in till sail is a few inches off spreader. Trim as boat accelerates.
• Mast – Adjust Halyards or Cunningham if needed. Get to rail.
• Bowman – Help Genoa across. Skirt genoa. Get to rail.
• Rail - Move to the opposite rail as soon as the boat is head to wind … and start looking for the next mark and for wind changes / things effecting the fleet elsewhere in the race.
• Windward Rounding – (bear away starboard kite set)

On Jem, the sequence of events are as follows:

Set up the kite and connect the downwind headsail sheet.

Bear away, hoist the kite

(drop the headsail … if wind below 15 knots)

Helmsman – Watch traffic. Bear away for hoist, then find new course angle.

Tactician – Determine favored side of the course. Help find optimum VMG angle.

Maintrimmer – Ease Mainsail and it’s controls.

Keys - Ensure that the boom vang is secured prior to the rounding, then ease halyards and tack line as required. Ensure tack line is clutched home prior to hoist. Tail the spinnaker halyard on the hoist. Ensure the headsail halyard runs smoothly on the drop (if required).

Port Trimmer (Kite Trimmer) – Trim the kite once initially set

Starboard Trimmer (Kite Grinder)
- Ease headsail 2 to 3 feet and lock in the sheet. Over easing the genoa causes problems for the spinnaker hoisting and increases the tendancy to round up.
- Once the spinnaker is fully hoisted (listen for the call from the mast), haul in the spinnaker sheet (with a minimum of two wraps on the cabin top winch) until the bands break. Once set, transfer the spinnaker sheet to the primary winch. Pass the tail of the sheet to the port trimmer and grind when called.

Mast
- Secure the downwind sheet for the headsail.
- Ease the Cunningham.
- Pump the kite hoist at the mast.
- Assist the bowman on headsail retrieval and flaking for the next hoist.
- Raise staysail if required.

Bowman- Set up kite for the hoist on approach to the mark – at the direction of the Tactician.
- check – sheets set for outboard gybe, tack drawn to full extent of pole, halyard clear of shrouds and other lines.
- help kite out of hatch or bag on the hoist.
- prepare the sheets for the gybe

Rail - move aft and windward once the kite is drawing to keep the weight aft … and start looking for the next mark and for wind changes / things effecting the fleet elsewhere in the race.

Gybing

Tactician – Look for clear air to gybe into. Make sure that you won’t have to duck or head up around any boats just after the Gybe. On many boats, the wind speed is as important as the wind angle; so avoid holes if possible.

Maintrimmer – The safest way is to bring the main to center and then ease it out on the other side. The fastest way is to wait for the trip call and throw it around as the boat rocks to windward. If done properly the boat stays at full speed the entire time. If done improperly on a boat with a tall fractional rig and runners, can result in the total annihilation of the rig, the boat, and all life as we know it.

Kite Grinder
- take control of the sheet, ensure that the tail is clear and the clutch is open. When the call ‘Trip” is made, release the sheet.
- Once the kite is set on the other tack, this role will normally become the Kite Trimmer

Kite Trimmer 

- haul in the new sheet as rapidly as possible with at least 1 wrap on the winch. 

- once there is load coming onto the sheet, take additional wraps and pass the tail to he new Kite Trimmer – you become the Kite Grinder

Mast – Assist the retrieval of the new sheet by running it aft once the body of the kite is on the new tack. 

Bowman – from the pullpit, ensure that there are no snags in sheets or spinnaker during the gybe

Leeward Roundings (Kite Drop)

Helmsman and Tactician- It is critical to call the drop at the appropriate time. Too soon and you might lose an inside overlap. Too late and the spinnaker can be left flailing in the breeze as you’re trying to go to weather. Once you have called for the genoa up and the spinnaker drop, the Helmsman should give all attention to driving properly around the mark. The Tactician must start looking up the weather leg before getting to the leeward mark or gate to determine what side of the course will be favoured. If the crew work goes well the Tactician can sit back and do his job. If something goes wrong on the takedown, the Tactician becomes the extra hand to access the problem and help with the solution. There are no tactics when you can’t tack.

Maintrimmer – Set your controls before you get to the two boatlength circle. Trim well because the main is the driving force during the sail transition.

Kite Trimmer - On the standard leeward drop, we use the lazy sheet to pull the kite into the forward hatch. The trimmer with the active sheet is responsible for easing the sheet once the bowman has tripped the tack to allow the Mast and bowman to haul the kite into the hatch. Once your work here is done, your job is to trim the headsail.

Kite Grinder - on the drop, your job is to haul the kite in through the hatch from below, ensuring that it is free from possible snags on the next hoist.

Keys

- ensure that the spinnaker halyard is flaked to easily flow on the drop, control the speed of release to match the foredeck crew.
- ensure the headsail halyard is set and ready for the hoist.
- grind for the headsail trimmer

Mast
- Check that the downwind sheeting is released on the headsail
- haul the kite in through the hatch
- keep a watch for loose sheets and lines, and secure these with the bowman for the next hoist.

Bowman – trip the tack line then pull down the kite into the hatch with the Mastman. Tidy up for the next hoist – tack, halyard, sheets

Rail - Move to the windward rail and start a look out for the next mark.

There are different quirks on every boat that need special attention, will will refine these in some practice sessions – remember that boatspeed is the key to 80 percent of racing.