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Bump's World - October 2014
October 15, 2014
Tuesday the games started. I would contact about twenty potential crew members to fill the crew list for the weekend races. By Tuesday night I had four definitely, four no way, and twelve I think I cans. The twelve will be getting back to me.
Wednesday is the Wednesday night race. I always had an open crew plan for Wednesdays. That means who ever shows up, shows up. This was not a good plan, but it was an easy plan for me. The big problem with the open invitation plan is on those warm light air summer nights you get like twenty people who show up. So I have way to many, way too much weight when I do not need the weight on the rail, or anywhere. On the crappy cold windy nights, only the hard core show up, so I'm sailing way under crewed and the boat is tipping over.
By Thursday I now have six definitely, six definitely not, and eight maybes. Of the six definitely I'm also worried that the different positions on the boat are covered. I could have twelve definitely, but without a bow person I'm still short.
On Friday I have fourteen definitely and six no's. Now I have too many. So I call the two that I think are the least qualified and tell them I do not really need them. I appreciate them wanting to come, but I have too many. Right after I call them two of the original definite cancel. It's Friday night and now I'm two short. I call back the two I just told cannot go and tell them I need them now. They say, they will only come if they can do a key position, like trim the mainsail. They are far down on my list for mainsail trimmer and I already have a good mainsail trimmer. I beg them to come and in the future I will let them trim main. Promise anything today and worry about that tomorrow.
The day of the race, one guy does not call or show up. One guy calls because his cat died and cannot make it. One guy shows up with a friend and just assumes he can come. Some guy on the dock also wants to come. Off we go with the crew of the day. Most of my boats only take six people who really know what they are doing to put sails up and down and in and out. The others are rail meat to keep the boat from tipping over.
I have a little talk that I give while we are motoring out to the starting line. It goes like this "Thank you for joining us today. I appreciate having you. I know you have very busy lives and are very excited to tell the person next to you what's been going on. Who's been sleeping with who and any other dirt I'm sure you are dying to share with us. However, I only ask that for the next two and a half hours, you concentrate on this boat and the race we are doing. If you see or hear anything that is relevant to this race, do not keep it to yourself share it with me and the others. Like another boat we are about to hit. You are all my eyes, help me. Now let's win this race".
The race starts and I'm concentrating hard on sail trim and our position relative to the other boats. I hear from the rail "well John is sleeping with Joan and Joan's boyfriend doesn't have a clew”. Oh well so much for my talk.
The weekend racing is over. Thank god it's Monday, my day off.
Please mail comments to me at Bump@newwaveyachts.com
Bump Wilcox
Bump's World - October 2014
October 15, 2014
CREW
Monday is my day off. I go to work, but I consider it my day off. I would reflect on the race over the weekend, and little Monday morning quarterbacking, but I tried not to think about crew. For a long time now I have been racing yachts that require a minimum of nine and as many as twelve crew members to race competitively. Getting crew, and more importantly getting good crew, is a huge challenge. You cannot do it all yourself, you need good crew.Tuesday the games started. I would contact about twenty potential crew members to fill the crew list for the weekend races. By Tuesday night I had four definitely, four no way, and twelve I think I cans. The twelve will be getting back to me.
Wednesday is the Wednesday night race. I always had an open crew plan for Wednesdays. That means who ever shows up, shows up. This was not a good plan, but it was an easy plan for me. The big problem with the open invitation plan is on those warm light air summer nights you get like twenty people who show up. So I have way to many, way too much weight when I do not need the weight on the rail, or anywhere. On the crappy cold windy nights, only the hard core show up, so I'm sailing way under crewed and the boat is tipping over.
By Thursday I now have six definitely, six definitely not, and eight maybes. Of the six definitely I'm also worried that the different positions on the boat are covered. I could have twelve definitely, but without a bow person I'm still short.
On Friday I have fourteen definitely and six no's. Now I have too many. So I call the two that I think are the least qualified and tell them I do not really need them. I appreciate them wanting to come, but I have too many. Right after I call them two of the original definite cancel. It's Friday night and now I'm two short. I call back the two I just told cannot go and tell them I need them now. They say, they will only come if they can do a key position, like trim the mainsail. They are far down on my list for mainsail trimmer and I already have a good mainsail trimmer. I beg them to come and in the future I will let them trim main. Promise anything today and worry about that tomorrow.
The day of the race, one guy does not call or show up. One guy calls because his cat died and cannot make it. One guy shows up with a friend and just assumes he can come. Some guy on the dock also wants to come. Off we go with the crew of the day. Most of my boats only take six people who really know what they are doing to put sails up and down and in and out. The others are rail meat to keep the boat from tipping over.
I have a little talk that I give while we are motoring out to the starting line. It goes like this "Thank you for joining us today. I appreciate having you. I know you have very busy lives and are very excited to tell the person next to you what's been going on. Who's been sleeping with who and any other dirt I'm sure you are dying to share with us. However, I only ask that for the next two and a half hours, you concentrate on this boat and the race we are doing. If you see or hear anything that is relevant to this race, do not keep it to yourself share it with me and the others. Like another boat we are about to hit. You are all my eyes, help me. Now let's win this race".
The race starts and I'm concentrating hard on sail trim and our position relative to the other boats. I hear from the rail "well John is sleeping with Joan and Joan's boyfriend doesn't have a clew”. Oh well so much for my talk.
The weekend racing is over. Thank god it's Monday, my day off.
Please mail comments to me at Bump@newwaveyachts.com
Bump Wilcox