Racing Season Begins

Racing Season has finally begun!

Last Sunday was the first week of Sunday Racing at MCSC. There was a pretty good turnout with 7 Ensigns, and one Soling. Conditions were excellent but a bit cold with a stiff NE wind at about 13 knots. This week will be week 2, and we hope for a better turnout. We have 13 Ensigns, 2 J24's, and 3 solings available for racing.

This week also marked the first nights for Tuesday Laser and Dinghy Racing, and Milwaukee Yacht Club's Wednesday night racing series. Although the conditions left something to be desired with variable and shifts winds both events had a pretty good turnout. The 470 fleet was otherwise occupied with regattas in Lake Opeka, and Lake Carlyle leaving the Tuesday starting line to the Lasers.

Those interested in sailing on Wednesday Nights on Solings and J24s, should contact MCSC, and post a comment on the blog. There are plenty of interested people out there, so lets get organized and make our presence known on both the starting line and finish line.

Wednesday Night Racing at South Shore Yacht Club begins next week as does MAST Racing on Friday Nights.

Hitch a Ride

I recently read an article about what to do and what not to do, and what to expect when it comes to hitching a ride for a race, whether it be an afternoon or evening, or a weekend. I'll try my best to summarize the article here and add a little of my own advice coming from years of 'hitching a ride' on Wednesday and Friday nights.

Shoes:
Shoes are extremely important for your own safety and performance as well as how you appear to a perspective skipper. If you show up on race day with black soled, slippery, uncomfortable shoes, don't expect to get called back. Although at the sailing center we're not too picking about the shoes you wear, as long as they are closed toe, a person who owns their own boat wants to keep his or her deck clean and skid mark free. They also want everyone to remain on board for the duration of the race, so go out and pick a pair of comfortable not slip grip sailing shoes.

Gear:
Don't bring too much stuff with you. Although you need to bring appropriate gear for the conditions of the day, don't bring monstrous amounts of things with you. Weight is a huge issue for most racing skippers and crews that bring tons of gear scream high maintenance. The sailing center encourages skippers of sailing center boats to bring a lot of gear to help them solve problems they will encounter on the water, but if you are crewing for someone, they most likely will be prepared. Some skippers will even provide extra PFDs for those crew members who don't have their own, and sometimes even sailing gloves. Do not count on this though. Again, bring only what you will absolutely need for the conditions of the day.
Just as it is important to not bring too much stuff, it is important to bring the right stuff. Good foul weather gear is a must, as are sailing gloves, hats, sun glasses etc. Dress for physical work. Most racing is work out for everyone involved.

Be Open and Honest:
It is very important to be open and honest about your skill level, knowledge, physical ability, and limitations, when catching a ride for a race. You don't want to be hoisted up the mast with arthritic joints, or sent down bellow to fold the shoot if you get sea sick, or sent to hoist a sail and you don't know which halyard is which. All skippers understand the situation when they bring on someone new, and they are almost always willing to teach you. Sometimes even other crew members can give you a run down of the boat, and assign you a position that fits you. Never jump into a job on the boat you are not familiar with. This can cause problems for you, the skipper, the crew, the boat, and your position in a race. Kiwi pro sailors call this type of person "overkeen", a very fitting term.

What is Expected of a Crew:
When you are picked up for a race, do not be surprised if you are not given the ideal position on the boat. No matter what your skill level is, there are usually regular crew who fill the most popular positions, and pick up crews are usually forced to start out on the rail. Don't be insulted, if you are good enough to take a higher position, the skipper will soon find that out. Be courteous to everyone on the boat, and move about with light feet. Don't be the first one to reach for a beer, and don't be offended if your the one who is asked to get the beer. You are not exactly a guest on the boat, you are there to work for the skipper/owner. You don't have to bring a gift to get a ride. Most skippers will provide anything they feel is needed, and if you bring a six pack with you, you may appear to not fit in.

What to Expect:
It is very important to be prepared for the the day on the water. Don't be surprised if the skipper is a yeller, a lot of racers do a lot of yelling on the race course, but are perfectly nice on land. Although it is unpleasant to be on a boat with someone like this, a ride is a ride, and quite often you take what you can get. Don't take the yelling personally. Expect long stretches of tedium. There are often long legs up wind and down wind, where crew have the most uncomfortable and difficult positions on the boat. Don't be afraid of the water, you will get wet! It is a water sport after all.
"Butt Cleat" is a semi technical term which means someone is sitting on a line that needs to be trimmed, adjusted, slacked, whatever, and someone is sitting on it causing problems. Don't be embarrassed if its you, it happens to all of us.
Don't be surprised if the skipper asks you to come back and race again. Know your schedule ahead of time so you are not caught on the spot. If you enjoyed the ride the first time don't be afraid to come back again, you will inevitably learn a lot, and work yourself up to a good position on the boat.
Have a flexible schedule the night of the race. Often weather is the only control of a length of a race, so don't have a deadline, or specific time to be back on land.

Racing Begins May 18, 2008

The summer is almost here. We're just, hopefully, seeing the last of the cold, wet spring weather as we head into the month of May. The Milwaukee Community Sailing Center's Sunday Racing begins Sunday May 18, 2008.

Everyone is anxious to get out and race with the beautiful spring wind. This year the sailing center staff are hoping to really get Sunday Racing going by expanding the weekly crowd to youth sailors and new members who are ready and willing to get out there on the starting line. As we try to emphasize every year, Sunday racing is a time for learning. Although the racing can get competitive it is important to remember that we're all out there to have fun and learn a little at the same time.

Bringing more and more basic sailors into the mix will not only expand the fleet on Sundays, it will improve the quality of sailing throughout the sailing center. Racing is an ideal way to reinforce and drive home the basic skills needed to navigate a sail boat correctly and safely through the harbor and in open water. With an expanding membership base, and an increasing number of open sailors, this development is important this year more than ever.

Although there will be a few changes to Sunday racing to accommodate newer and younger sailors, the average racer will not notice them. Racing will begin at the same time, 9:30 am, every week, and will be run in a similar fashion with familiar race courses, and no one keeping score. It should be a great season of racing and I hope to catch everyone on the starting line on May 18th.