Sailboat Race Crew Need Long Beach, CA Feb 20&21

Hey, its a long shot...
If you ever though you might be interested in racing big sailboats but never had the chance, the time is now. This weekend to be specific.
Myself and my regular Great Lakes Crew are chartering a boat this weekend but find ourselves short of crew due to life commitments getting in the way.

We are looking to add 500lbs of people to the boat (2 - 3 people.)
Previous experience not required. Willingness, competitiveness and enthusiasm are more important that sailing experience. We currently have 6 very skilled sailors on board, just need to fill in some utility positions.

Alamitos Bay area, Long Beach Yacht Club.
Saturday & Sunday Feb 20 & 21
10am to 4pm both days.
Join for either one day or both.

Sample photo:

By "utility" you mean ballast, right?

Sure, legal movable ballast also known as "rail meat." Like you see in the lower picture, this is often called "hanging out the meat." It is amazing sometimes but even with 8 people on board there often is not enough hands to reach everything effectively.

Only if I get to hang out with Demi Moore from 1986 and/or install a Ferrari engine.

Meat on the rail!

I just started crewing for a friend last summer -- it is fun!

So wish I could.

Uh, awesome. I'm interested

I sent you an message with details. I don't know who knows who here, but there's a few guys on this forum that can vouch for me.

Dang it.

Give me more than a couple days notice next time and I will drive across the country to participate!

jreyenga wrote: Uh, awesome. I'm interested I sent you an message with details. I don't know who knows who here, but there's a few guys on this forum that can vouch for me.

Phone number sent to your email

For clarification, we will be racing aboard boat #8 in the first picture above.

SVreX wrote: Dang it. Give me more than a couple days notice next time and I will drive across the country to participate!

Planes travel fast. That is how I am getting there.
Yes, sorry for the short notice. Days ago I thought we were good and now two back out.

if only you were on this coast.... and it was warmer

I concur with SVreX, we coulda driven over together, and I crewed on the foredeck for 4 seasons downunder

Oh, Aussie, you will be called on again!
Specifically when the water around here in Ohio stops being hard and turns to soft again!
I see you have foredeck experience. Our regular fordeck guy brags that is the place to be since he is the first guy on the boat to cross the finish line.

Jreyenga is onboard bringing a confirmed 200lbs. Still room for more....

200, what a lightweight

Bad weekend, and I can't afford plane tickets. Otherwise I'd be all over it, I'd love to learn how. Let me know if you're ever in Green Bay or Chicago.

All,
At the Big Boat crew level, sailing is one of the easiest sports to get involved in. No matter what water you are near, if there is racing, I guarentee there are boats looking for crew. Take my example. In a perfect world we would have 9 people onboard. Have you ever tried to get 9 people (any people) to all be at the same place and same time? It is not easy.

Compare to car racing.
Lets say you were willing to be pit crew at a circle track and you were willing to do it for free. You would get all kind of people telling you that they would take the help. Heck, once you established a name for yourself, your phone would be ringing every weekend with offers like, "just get here and I will buy the beer and the food."
Sailboat racing is similar but instead of waiting back at the pits, you too are in the car (boat) going around the track.
Some guy (boat owner) has bought the boat, made the payment, paid the fee; now if he does not have enough crew he can not win or he will be greatly uncompetitive. Owners who want to win know that taking care of the crew is the most important thing. They are all volunteers, not easily replaced and the good ones are in high demand.

I recommend that you use the Crew List section of www.sailinganarchy.com. There you can put up a listing of your availability. I tried to pick up 3 guys who had listed there. A few listed just last week and are commited already for this weekend. Keep in mind, these are all free opportunities. Once you join in with a crew, the oppritunities continue. Willingness, reliability and enthusiasm are much more quality traits in sailboat crew than sailing exprience. Many boat owners prefer untrained crew that can be developed in their own way.

To mtn and others: if you list on the website given, you could be sailing in Green Bay and/or Chicago every week. Same goes for most anywhere else.

It is popular in sailboating that clubs run small races every Weds night in the summer. When I travel for business, I typically just head down to whatever club I may be near. I ask around if anyone needs crew and next thing you know, you are racing. I have made some good friends this way as well. Show up at any club on a race weekend and more than likely you will be racing. If you like more advance notice, send an email to the club stating you are interested and wondering if they know anyone who need s crew. You will get picked up.

I am the advisor for the University of Illinois Sailing team. Waht boat are you renting? I have experience. (I race my fathers 31 footer out of Milwaukee, sail number 43577) What race is this? yes I also reas sailinganarcht 943577 is my username there)

Oh, let me check for fequesnt fluer miles out to Long beach, Also I can Drive, work bow or trim main/jib, eh, whatever you need.

Oh anyone in the midwest that wants to sail I can hook you up. W sail aat clijton lake, tons of boats and free races nearly every weekend, you will sail if you show up.

clsasailing.org <-- people out at the lake illinoissailing.org <-- u of I las-go-around.blogspot.com <-- my dad's boat

Last one, then I will stop hijacking this thread

this is how we transport (mast down though)

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kvAc3H2AhyU/SEtUQH1XdHI/AAAAAAAAAK4/4IiU27oDIRc/s1600-h/63.jpg

I'd love to do this! I raced sabots and lasers when I was a teen and have done lots of cruising, but have never had a chance to crew on a larger boat.

EricM wrote: What boat are you renting? What race is this?

Not so much renting as borrowing. We (myself and 3 buddies) typically take a break from the snow in Ohio and crew for friends that we have made in California. The owner can not make it but feels that the boat should go anyways. We thought we had the crew rounded out but then had some late cancels. The boat is a Schock 35 pictured above as boat #8. We arrive at the boat on Thurs. Sail from Marina del Rey to Long Beach on Friday. Compete Sat & Sun. leave Long Beach Monday and return to Marina del Rey by way of Catalina Island. Fly back to Ohio on Tues.

The race is SoCal Yacht Assoc Midwinters.
http://midwinters.scyaweb.org/2010mwr
We will be hosted out of Long Beach YC and sharing the race course with:
Classes: Farr 40, Catalina 37, Express 37, PHRF Big Boat Class (-3 and below), PHRF (0 to 120), Santana 30/30, J/29 and Schock 35.
http://midwinters.scyaweb.org/2010mwr/2010mwnor.pdf

Check back for results. We will be registered as VooDooD.

That sounds like a lot of fun. I have been looking into the sailing schools at Lake Lanier here in Georgia and will probably take the beginner classes this summer. The idea of crewing on a bigger boat occasionaly sounds pretty cool.

mapper wrote: That sounds like a lot of fun. I have been looking into the sailing schools at Lake Lanier here in Georgia

Isin't that lake drying up?

EricM wrote:

mapper wrote: That sounds like a lot of fun. I have been looking into the sailing schools at Lake Lanier here in Georgia

Isin't that lake drying up?

Not anymore. We are making up for the drought by having as much rain as possible this year.

I cannot make it but will talk to the neighbor if he wants to go he was the second on the America cup boat about 5 years ago.