There are Seven Critical Positions on a racing Yacht:
Helmsman / Skipper
Tactician (on Elise, also does Pit)
Maintrimmer (on Elise, often the skipper, except at leeward mark rounding)
Port Trimmer
Starboard Trimmer
Pitman
Bowman
On Boats over 34 feet a Mastman is added for dip pole gybing, and Boats over 35 feet long usually have a grinder.
The Start (typical starboard approach, if you decide to port tack the fleet, change swap port for starboard in the trimmer description...)
Helmsman - Get a good position in the fleet with room to duck and come up
Tactician/Pit Man - Check wind shifts and determine the favored side of line and course. Help helmsman position the boat in a nice clean line to the start. Get to rail when ready to power up
Maintrimmer - Keep main trimmed fully unless told otherwise. Be ready to dump the entire sail if necessary. Trim hard and fast on final approach giving the boat full power. On Elise, this job belongs to the helmsman
Port Trimmer - Let Helmsman and tactician know of leeward boats. Grind for Starboard Trimmer on Port Tack. Trim to full speed unless told otherwise. Call Genoa skirt on final approach. Once genny is trimmed, get to rail.
Starboard Trimmer - Let Helmsman know of leeward boats while on port tack. Trim to full speed. Grind for port trimmer. Wrap starboard winch. Get to rail.
Bowman - On bow calling approaching boats and distance to the line. Don't forget genoa skirting when the boat is ready to power up. Get to rail afterwards.
Upwind sailing
Tactician: call for course changes, look at boat positions, changing wind conditions, current. 'up 5', 'down 10', 'let's get ready for a tack'. call laylines
Helmsman/maintrimmer - focus on boat speed and main trim (backstay, mainsheet, traveler) - call cunningham, vang and outhaul. check for traffic
Existing Trimmer - if light air, constantly trim genoa so as to minimize tiller movement
New Trimmer - on rail, weight management, adjust outhaul
Pitman - adjust vang as per main trimmer wishes
Bowman - adjusts cunningham as per main trimmer wishes, call out puffs and lulls and waves
Tacking
Tactician - Make a call for a tack. Look for a clear lane. Make sure there is breeze where you are heading.
Helmsman - Call "Tacking" [tacking in 3, 2, 1, helm's a lee]. Start to tack slowly to maximize weather gain. Then quickly find opposite tack angle after crossing head to wind.
Maintrimmer - Ease main per boat stability to allow boat to tack easier. Then trim in as the boat accelerates and the headsail is pulled in
Existing Trimmer - release Sheet as boat gets head to wind. Tail for New Trimmer and Get to Rail as quickly as possible
New Trimmer - Trim in/grind in till sail is a few inches off spreader. Trim as boat accelerates.
Pitman - unused
Bowman - Help Genoa across. Skirt genoa. Get to rail.
Windward Mark Rounding - (standard port rounding with bear-away set)
- Tactician - Determine favored side of the course. Help find optimum VMG angle - and instruct crew: 'jibe set', 'set and reach', 'set and polars'. etc...so the crew will trim the sail to desired course
- Bowman - set the chute, ready for hoist
- Pitman/Bowman - set the pole
- Helmsman - Watch traffic and overlaps and potentially call for room.
- Maintrimmer - Ease Mainsail and backstay
- Helmsman - Steer around the mark, as close as possible to the mark. Find new course angle. Help fill chute (may have to steer down more, then head up)
- Port Trimmer - Ease Genoa 2 to 3 feet. Over easing the genoa causes problems for the spinnaker hoisting. Cleat, and then trim Spinnaker. Do not over trim as the chute is going up.
- Starboard Trimmer - Pull back guy (pre-feed). Trim afterguy as if it is a sheet until the course is set. Make sure the pole is square (perpendicular) to the wind to begin with.
- Bowman (on Elise as the halyard is at the mast): hoist the spinnaker. retrieve bag (if necessary), secure the jib on deck and make sure that lines are clear for a gybe, release cunningham
- Pitman (if in the ocean in rough weather): hoist the spinnaker
- Pitman: Make sure that jib halyard is ready to go. Drop the jib, tighten up the Foreguy. release the twing, and then adjust mainsail controls: outhaul and vang.
- Port Trimmer: release the tweeker
Downwind Sailing
Tactician: call for course changes, look at boat positions, changing wind conditions, current. 'up 5', 'down 10', 'let's get ready for a gybe', 'let's cover this boat'. call laylines
Helmsman/maintrimmer - focus on boat speed and main trim (mainsheet, traveler) - call vang and outhaul. check for immediate traffic. If boat speed drops, can call 'coming up', etc...working in concert with spinnaker trimmers
Sheet Trimmer (sometimes port and sometimes starboard trimmer) - trim spinnaker, talk to helmsman for pressure - keep the sail right on the edge
Pole Trimmer - work in concert with helmsman and spinnaker trimmer - call for tip of the pole height (working with pit), bring pole back and forth depending on boat course and wind conditions.
Pitman - adjust vang as per main trimmer wishes
Bowman - calls for puffs and lulls and waves (so maximize surf) so driver does not have to look backwards
Gybing
Tactician - Look for clear air to gybe into. Make sure that you won't have to duck or head up around any boats just after the Gybe. On many boats, the wind speed is as important as the wind angle. Try to call the gybe on a puff or a wave to accelerate the gybe. Call the gybe (talking to the helmsman)
Pitman: releases the foreguy and tend to it during the entire process
Helmsman and main trimmer - Call the trip when the boat rolls to windward, pull the main over (assisted by the pitman/tactician so that it clears the backstay, or in heavy weather to help w/ main sheet pull) - The safest way is to bring the main to center and then ease it out on the other side as the pole is made on the new side, this is typically done in heavy weather even in a race and on an E27. The fastest way is to wait for the trip call and throw it around as the boat rocks to windward at the same time as the pole is tripped and the spinnaker is gybed. If done properly the boat stays at full speed the entire time. If done improperly, well, it might lead to some emergency recovery maneuvers...Throughout the maneuvre, the helsman tries to follow the spinnaker, keep the boat under it to help the trimmers keep it full.
Trimmers - the sheet trimmer will become the pole trimmer and vice versa. The most common setup today is the single sheet with tweekers, for the sheet that becomes the guy. In heavy weather, there may be separate sheets and guys (to make the foredeck person's job easy). The only important thing to remember is to keep the spinnaker full and trimmed at all times. Both trimmers are responsible for their respective twings (tweekers) - and they want those pulled in slightly so the spinnaker angle is reduced and so that the foredeck person can easily grab the lines. As the pole is tripped, pull a little on the new sheet to prevent the chute from darting to the new windward side (the pole trimmer becomes in effect a 'human pole'). As the new guy is made (eg the pole has grabbed it), ease the sheet slightly to allow the pole to come back quickly. The new guy must be pulled back as fast as possible to avoid wrapping the chute, but don't over square or pull before the bowman calls mad (eg the pole is secured again on the mast with the new)
Depending on the setup, one trimmer can handle both sheet and guy. Or each trimmer can take a side trading from sheet to guy and visa versa.
Bowman - Timing, speed, and agility are required for this daring maneuver. On the end for end gybe, the pole should be tripped from both sides at once if there is enough wind to easily float the spinnaker. This then makes it easy for the spinnaker trimmer to keep the spinnaker full. Otherwise, from the mast first and keeping the pole out as much as possible/perpendicular to the boat before tripping the old guy to help keep the spinnaker full. Grab the new guy with your outboard hand and shove it into the jaw of the pole that you are holding with your inboard hand. Then slide the pole through your hands and push it outwards and forward with all you have till you can make the jaw onto the mast ring. Call Made and prepare for the next gybe or mark rounding. Don't worry about the genoa sheets on the Express 27. The Bowman is truly in his glory as the pole comes at him at twenty to thirty miles an hour. All he or she has to do is set the new guy in the outboard pole jaw, call "Made", and push the pole out as it goes by. If done correctly, the Bowman is the star and everyone should buy him or her a drink. If done incorrectly, the entire boat slows down, the spinnaker can wrap around the forestay, the bowman can get his or her head punched and general chaos ensues.
Leeward Mark (or gate) Rounding
Tactician - It is critical to call the drop at the appropriate time. Too soon and you might lose an inside overlap. Too late and the spinnaker can be left flailing in the breeze as you're trying to go to weather, slowing the boat down and taking a toll on your crew (it is tiring to bring it back in the boat). Once you have called for the jib up and the spinnaker drop, the Helmsman should give all attention to driving properly around the mark. The Tactician must start looking up the weather leg before getting to the leeward mark or gate to determine what side of the course will be favored. The tactician may call for a tack immediately after the mark, and ask to 'float' the spinnaker, hence put the pole away BEFORE rounding the mark to ensure maximum tactical flexibility at the mark. If the crew work goes well the Tactician can sit back and do his job. If something goes wrong on the takedown, the Tactician becomes the extra hand to assess the problem and help with the solution. There are no tactics when you can't tack. In general, the tactician is also the spare hand if anything goes wrong as usually the boat becomes limited in its ability to maneuvres in these cases and the tactician's job is severely hampered ;-)
Maintrimmer - Set your controls when you get to the three boatlength circle and before you get to the two boatlength circle: backstay and start trimming in the main. Trim well because the main is the driving force during the sail transition.
Pitman: set up outhaul for upwind before you get to the two boatlength circle and before you get to the two boatlength circle
Bownman: set up cunningham for upwind before you get to the two boatlength circle and before you get to the two boatlength circle
Leeward Drop:
Trimmers - On the standard leeward drop, ease the pole to a few inches of the headstay and then blow the guy so that the chute can be pulled down the foredeck hatch if possible or the companionway hatch if you are out in the ocean. The sheet should be eased as the chute starts to drop or the foredeck person needs to grab it to collect the chute. In heavy weather, the foredeck person may want to collect the foot of the sail (thus collapsing the spinnaker, making it easy to drop it in-between his or her arms).
Windward or floater Drop:
Trimmers - the pole will be put away before the mark and the spinnaker will be floated: on floater take downs ease and tend the sheets. A sheet that is let go will try to go overboard and wrap around the rudder according to Murphy's Law. Release both sheets (leeward sheet first) when the foredeck is ready to gather the spinnaker The rule of thumb for trimmers is to trim the spinnaker to full speed whether the pole is attached to it or not. Make sure that your genoa is ready to come in at the mark. Trim the genoa to full speed through the entire rounding.
Leeward trimmer must get ready to trim the jib as soon as the sheet is released. Then, you're back to upwind settings.
Pitman - You must go with the flow of the foredeck crew. Make sure that your spinnaker halyard is flaked and ready to run free if it is run back (short-handed ocean/heavy weather set up). Hoist the genoa (tail) as soon as it is called for by the tactician (since it is often the same person as the tactician, should be easy and only require head/arm coordination). Get the genoa halyard to its mark. As soon as the foredeck person is ready for it, slowly ease the topping lift so the pole is lowered to the level of the pole sleeve. This allows the Bowman to start cleaning up the foredeck immediately for a tack. Once the pole is down enough, get to the rail. On floater drops, the pole comes down before the spinnaker making your job easier as you approach the mark.
Bowman - Have the genoa ready to hoist and make sure that the genoa sheets will be clear for a tack (eg. over the spinnaker pole) and jump it when it is called. Get spinnaker lines ready for the drop. Grab the appropriate sheet and start bringing in the foot of the chute. Once you have most of the foot aboard, you can start pulling the belly and the leech of the spinnaker in at warp speed because it should be hidden from the wind behind the genoa. In the bay, you'll be releasing the halyard yourself :) It should take 3 to 6 seconds to pull down a spinnaker on any boat up to 70 feet long, if done properly. Once the spinnaker is down, secure the pole and do the minimum cleanup required to get the boat heading quickly to the next mark. Double check the windward genoa sheet for tacking ability. Do the rest of the cleanup when the boat is in clear air and sailing at full speed.
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