Noobs

National Yacht Club has an excellent 'introduction to sailing' program: the Introductory Crew Membership. The program includes in-class instruction and on boat activity. It starts with the basics so everyone can be included. The graduates are encouraged to enter the crew bank for mid week racing. The new members are introduced to senior members and they get to sail on a variety of different boats. The cost is about $300. It is also an opportunity for boat owners, since it provides a ready stream of potential crew members. We were short handed on Wednesday so had space for one Noob. It was a very calm day, i e no wind we didn't actually race. Excellent for teaching but not for racing! This gave the crew the opportunity to 'teach' the novice the 'ropes'. The chance to teach others is a great reinforcement of one's own skills. We went over the various terms, did a practise spinnaker hoist, and went into the start sequence. The PRO called the race mid sequence. We drifted around and talked about the lack of beer on my boat (amongst other things of lesser importance e. g. safaris). A couple of drawbacks:

Noobs do not have sailing gear. They are not familiar with how cold it can be on Lake Ontario in May. An investment in foulies is a pretty big commitment for someone unsure about the sport. People use equipment that they have, e.g. bicycle gloves as sailing gloves. (BTW: I have an extra set of sailing gloves.) The big problem is the need to keep dry. In windy weather you can get wet from spray. I am not sure that there is enough emphasis on what is needed for outer wear. Racing is a stressful situation. If you have a competitive crew they must be able to know what needs to be done and when it needs to be done. A novice will need some time to learn the difference between an outhaul and a cunningham. They will need a lot of supervision. I am not a fan of teaching people how to sail during a race! That said, the reality is that at Club races, people are cool and can step back from taking things too seriously. (Crew: "Richard are we talking about you here?")

On balance the Introductory Crew Membershp is a great opportunity for new sailors. It is a low cost and easy entry into the sport. It is for anyone who has asked the question: "Is sailing for me?".