Getting Started
Roadmap — Eight
If
you have a good background of sailing and want to learn about racing,
this section charts a course for you. You have two goals: getting
the club (really, individual skippers) to teach you how to be a
racing crew by taking you racing, and, then, to give you "rides"
as a racing crew. The second part is the easy part - once you are
a good racing crew, you essentially are paying your way. The challenge
is to get the rides while you are learning
a)
Join CSC as an Associate member
and participate in Club events. Being an Associate member will
give you contacts and visibility among knowledgeable racers. The
membership includes access to all Club services and events, including
the newsletter and members-only portions of CSC's Web site. At your
skill level, membership does not guarantee rides - but they are
easier to get if you are a member.
b) Register on in the crew-finder.
(The list of available crew is visible only on the members-only
side of the web site. You also can do your registering there if
you are a member.) Do not exaggerate your background: the knowledgeable
skipper will rapidly understand what you know once you get on the
water.
c)
Crawl though the web site (carolinasailingclub.org) to get
a feel for club activities. (For later use, note that in the members-only
side there is a Rogues Gallery of names and pictures of all members
to help you put faces with names and vice versa.)
d)
Go to the next Third Thursdays
Social to start meeting members and get the lay of the land.
e)
Read about racing.
Most racing crew are long on skills built up from experience, but
short on understanding of the underlying theories and ideas. You
can learn the theories and ideas from a book - not completely, but
more than most crew know. Read. Not just the sailing magazines,
but books.
f)
Serve on a Race Committee (You must be at least an associate
member to serve on a race committee.) By assisting an experienced
Principal Race Officer to run the races, you can observe the other
boats - their strategy, tactics, and boat handling. You can become
familiar with how the races are run, and begin to learn the essentials
of the racing rules. See the Events
page for dates and information on the various racing series.
When you joined the club you were asked for preferences about dates
for your obligatory race committee duty. Contact the Chairman of
the Regatta Operations Committee, Dave
Batchelor, and tell him you are willing to do more RC duty.
g)
Identify with a CSC Fleet. As
they gain racing skills, many non-boat owners in the club choose
to specialize in crewing with one particular fleet. This can work
well, because you learn that type of boat particularly well, and
you get to know the members of that fleet. Racing skippers are always
looking for crew that know how to race their type of boat, and they
tend to invite crew who they have already met.
h)
When you get crewing rides, ask questions. No question is
too dumb. Keep asking till you understand. The skipper is interested
in whether you are interested in learning and can learn fast. Never
sign up for a date unless you are sure you can make it; don't cancel
later. If you sign up, make it - and be on time.
|
