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On The Bookshelf By William Wallick Catamaran Crewing from Start to Finish by Phil Berman Crewing on a catamaran. That elusive dynamic that some teams seem to have down to an unspoken science, and other teams seem to never get. Is your boat a battleground of bickering or a scene of synergistic cooperation? Do you sail with many different people so you are constantly having to teach your crew? Or are you a neophyte skipper who is not yet sure what you should be telling your crew? |
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“There are many different levels of racing crews. Some crews know next to nothing about sailing and racing; others know more than their skippers. Interestingly, however, knowledge alone won’t make for a good crew – sometimes, in fact, it makes for a terrible crew.” |
| Phil Berman’s Catamaran Crewing From Start to Finish is aimed at that very important, often under-appreciated job of crewing. If you are a crew, and anxious to learn more, this book is certainly for you. If you are a skipper who has a new or inexperienced crew, this might be a really good present to supplement what you have already taught your crew. |
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“Crewing for the first time on a fast-moving catamaran can be frightening,, for while your enthusiastic skipper is assuring you it’s a cinch, you can’t help but be perplexed by something you’ve never done.” |
| Catamaran Crewing starts out with a very general description of the boat, then goes into points of sail, boat trim, trapezing, tacking & gybing, getting out of irons, trimming the jib, the slot, travelers, and downwind sailing. |
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“Your jib, contrary to what many unknowledgeable sailors might think, does a lot more than just help tack the cat.” |
| Chapter three concentrates on the racing crew. It delves into pre-regatta duties, also emphasizes preparation (gear), and Berman talks about the pre-start duties expected of the crew, timing the start, and what it is the crew should be doing during this most important part of the race. |
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“If things are going badly, but the skipper can glance over at a determined crew trying earnestly to win, then s/he receives an instant “fix” of the winning elixir – desire to win.” |
| Chapter four takes up after the start of the race. Some general advice is given about how to assist the skipper, then Berman gets more specific about the different legs. Sailing from B to C, Sailing from A to C, and Rounding C are all covered individually, and the skipper may also want to refresh him/herself on who is doing what, and what is expected of whom. The chapter concludes with a section on talking and communication. |
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“Tagging the main, balancing on the trapeze, looking at the course, and working the jib all at the same time is no easy task. It requires good coordination and a lot of practice.” |
| Chapter five deals with safe crewing. Discussed are electrocution, exposure, PFD’s, capsizing, dismasting, and the often neglected skipper overboard procedures. |
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“A skipper overboard situation is much more serious if you can’t sail. This is one good reason why all crews should learn the fundamentals of sailing and skippering.” |
| Chapter six is a Q&A with Paula Alter about crewing on the Hobie 16. Chapter seven is with Larry Harteck on the Nacra 5.2, and the book concludes with Chapter eight’s interview with Suzi Smyth about crewing with Randy (yes, that Randy) on the Prindle. |
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“Well, Randy and I have a great deal of respect for one another and our capabilities I can trust him and he can trust me. We also know how we sail, and both of us are very competitive; we want to win, but we have a lot of fun too. We are also in very good physical shape, so we can sail the boat full speed for the entire duration of any regatta.” -Suzi Smyth |
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There is so much information in here that you couldn’t possibly remember to tell your crew, buy
them the book. If nothing else it will serve as a good springboard for working out other logistical
problems. If you are an aspiring crew, this book will get you up and flying fast to be that
knowledgeable and reliable crew that skippers look for.
RECOMMENDATION: This one goes On the Bookshelf. William Wallick wallick@concentric.net Catamaran Crewing From Start to Finish by Phil Berman is published by Wind Publishing Company, Copyright 1984. Price: $19.00; Paperback. Available through Amazon Books. Back to Features |