Offshore Racing

[sjdjohnson]

Looking for guidance on "breaking into" offshore racing. I'm currently living aboard my Mitchell 25' building up my smallboat skills and working as a commercial diver. I have a flexable schedule and commitment isn't a problem. where should I begin? is it simply a case of pounding the docks and lucking into a position?

[paulk]

Pacing the docks is a good way of finding out how people do different things depending upon their boat and their approach. Someone with a Tripp 41 will want people hiking hard in a breeze with the chute up, while another guy with an older Tartan decides not to set and lets the crew sit in the cockpit. "Getting a ride" on several different boats would be a good way to learn a lot, quickly. It would be a good idea to sail with someone a bit before embarking on a long-haul offshore race with them too. This is not just so you know the boat in the dark, but so that you know how the other crew operate and what to expect from them. There may be a reason to avoid a boat going on an offshore race that's still looking for crew at the last minute. Maybe someone bailed because they learned the boat was unsafe, or that the skipper wasn't as nice on board as he was at the yacht club bar. Sailing on long day races is good practice for things that happen at night too. I found myself shinnying up the forestay at 01:25 AM one Chicago-Mackinaw race,to unwrap a spinnaker that the other watch had fouled. Asking around while traveling has gotten me berths in Normandy, Provence, and Chicago. You need to find a boat that will perform better because you're aboard, (so you're useful) and one which you can learn from - so you can improve your skills. That makes it a win-win-(win?) situation for everyone. Good luck!