Hemmings A. Crewing to Win

Arundel, West Sussex, UK: Fernhurst Books, 1994. — 98 p. — ISBN: 1-89866-005-0.Like so many other people my sailing career started by learning to crew. At that time my father had a small day yacht, and my interest was more in the fishing opportumties that it afforded than in the excitement of sailing. He must have tired of having his boat slowed by the drag of fishing weights, for he insisted I join a small church sailing club and " learn to sail properly".
I was taught to helm and learned guickly, too guickly, for after only a few weeks I felt confident enough to take a boat out on my own, contradicting all club rules.
I managed to capsize the boat and end up being rescued, and the result was a six week ban. I never went back to that club and instead, despite not having money to buy a boat, joined the local racing club. Within weeks I began crewing for people on a regular basis and started what has been, to me, both a hobby and a career.
Why crew and not helm? Many things influenced that decision, amongst them money and size, but once I started I began to realise that crewing held as many, if not more, challenges as helming. A good crew is made from experience and dedication, just like a helmsman, but unfortunately is rarely recognised to the same degree. I set out to prove, firstly to myself and then to other people, that a good crew can mean the difference between a successful racing campaign and one that falls by the wayside.