Advice for breaking into racing

[dzipkin]

Hi All--

Looking for some advice here...

I''ve decided that I want to give racing a try. I''m a capable--but relatively new--sailor; I just returned from a month of small boat (20 ft Drascombe) costal sailing down in Baja, but I have little-to-no racing experience.

I''m looking for the best way to get out onto a racecourse soon. Anyone have any advice?

By the way, I live in Washington DC--about an hour from Annapolis.

Thanks.
Dave

[Jeff_H]

Hi Dave

I live in Annapolis and Annapolis is one of the easiest places to get aboard a boat. One easy way to find a boat to race on is to watch Spinsheet Magazine''s webpage http://www.spinsheet.com/

Every spring Spinsheet runs a sign up for people seeking crew and crew seeking boats. It is a pretty good way to get aboard a race boat. If its a breezy day you can walk down the dock before the Wednesday evening beeercan series at Annapolis Yacht Club, Harborside, or their annex and ask people if they need crew.

In the interim you might try to read as much as you can about sail trim and boatspeed issues and perhaps show up on the docks for the Sunday FrostBite series and try to get aboard a racer. You also might try to get aboard performance boast that are daysailing during the winter just to see how things are done.

If you email me your phone number I would be glad to give you call some weekend when I am going out for a daysail.

Jeff

[chiefboomerang]

dave, wed. night sailing in Annapolis- 100-
150 boats- bring a 12-pack, walk down a pier and ask.

[lefty]

You can also try the Washington Sailing Center off the Parkway (can''t remember the name of the Parkway but the marina is between Reagan Airport and Alexandria). They do PHRF racing on Tuesday nights starting around 5 or 5:30. Just walk down to the where the lift is and ask around. They have a skippers meeting before every race, where they try to hook up crew looking for rides with skippers looking for crew.

This does not compare with the Annapolis Wed Night racing, but it will get you on the water for an additional day.

I think they start sometime in May.