All about me?

An interesting, and I think, unique tradition at National YC is the "Crew Race". The race provides an opportunity for a regular crew member to helm a race. Giving up the helm for a race is not something most skippers will do. The number of boats participating was lower than average. A lot of skippers made the decision to select a family member as "crew skipper"; a decision which undermines the purpose of the event. Is sailing all about me? My boat, my helm! A good skipper should recognize the need to let others develop. A race is a very different experience than a casual sail. Letting others helm gives them an opportunity to experience what it means to be skipper during a race.

This year David did the honours of being crew race skipper. The wind was fairly intense at about 20 knots from the east. It was decided not to fly the chute. The lack of experience showed. Our tacks were rough and as a result we weren't able to make up for a poor start. We were able to catch up to Honey Bunny before the last windward mark rounding. Excellent! We got a Third. This wasn't a race to be competitive but an experience to develop skills. It was a success. The experience was good for the crew; including the skipper, if for no other reason than that it re-enforces the concept: "It isn't only about me"!