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ANY
COLLEGE SKIPPER WHO THINKS THAT the crew is there just to deal
with the sheet won't win too many races. If a skipper and crew
don't work well together, the boat is almost always slow. To learn
the ins and outs of the front half of the boat, we sat down with
two of the best crews in college sailing. Jessica Amen of Petaluma,
Calif., is a junior at USC majoring in Vocal Jazz and minoring
in Music Industry. She sailed extensively in high school and was
recruited to sail at USC. Susan Bonney of Westford, Mass., is
a junior at Harvard majoring in Classics. Her only sailing experience
before college consisted of summer cruises with her grandparents.
Both Amen and Bonney were 1999-2000 ICSA All-America selections.
What's
the difference between a good crew and a great crew?
Amen: The main difference is whether
they can easily switch between skippers. They have to be versatile,
easy to get along with, and happy to sail with whomever their
coach assigns.
Bonney: A good crew can tough out
the hiking and sails by following the skipper's directions. A
great crew loves all conditions and knows what they need to do
without a word from his or her skipper. I'm still working on that.
When
you first started crewing, what gave you the most trouble?
Amen: Putting all the pieces together.
Sailing is such a complex sport and thinking about wind shifts,
rules, current, and tactics all at once is something learned over
time. In the last couple of years it's been coming together. A
lot of practice has been the key.
Bonney: I had no idea what was going
on. Sometimes, I still feel like I don't. What was worse was that
once I figured out some of the basics of boathandling, I had to
come to grips with the fact that there was a whole course out
there. One of the toughest things to learn was how to transition
in different conditions. It's still something I'm working on.
You must pay attention to each tack, jibe, and rounding, and adjust
accordingly.
What's
the best thing about crewing?
Amen: The best thing about being
a crew is that you know how important your position is on the
boat and that your skipper can't possibly sail without you. You
also don't have to stay late in your stinky sailing clothes for
a protest.
Bonney: Being part of a great team,
but also realizing how important you are to that team, is an incredible
feeling-the best thing about being a crew. I love sailing with
someone of similar size; it allows me to be more involved in what's
physically happening to the boat.
The
worst?
Amen: You have to deal with whatever
the skipper dishes out and try not to take it personally. When
I first started crewing for my high school team, I took every
comment personally, and it often affected my performance. You
have to blow that stuff off because it's not about you.
Bonney: Sometimes it's really easy
to forget that you're part of a team. It's easy to feel less responsible
when you're winning, but more so when you're losing. I know it's
a mentality a lot of crews share, and it's really important to
shake that feeling because it's just ridiculous. The boat is a
"we," not an "I."
Is
there anything that a skipper does that really drives you crazy?
Amen: Yeah, I've snapped back at
my skipper. Sometimes, if my skipper is completely out of line,
I drop the jib sheet and say, "You try and sail the boat
without me!" But the worst thing is when my skipper gets
an award and doesn't thank his crew at the awards ceremony. That
drives me crazy; the rest I can deal with!
Bonney: Occasionally, a skipper's
fixation with a tiny amount of inconsequential water in the boat
can be annoying, but it's understandable. I've also noticed that
as I've gained confidence in crewing, I get a little bit defensive
and indignant when commanded to do something. My regular skipper
doesn't do this, and I only react to people I know well, but I've
definitely snapped at one person I can think of-all in good fun,
of course.
What
advice do you have for any new crews?
Amen: Keep your eyes open and give
your skipper every piece of info possible, even if it seems silly
or obvious. A lot of the time the skipper is so concentrated on
something that he or she may not notice that boat on starboard.
Bonney: Love the feel of sailing.
Unless you really love the spray, the waves, and the feel, it's
not so easy to keep your enthusiasm after hours of being wet and
cold. Enjoy the challenge of sailing with people of different
sizes, abilities, and techniques-the more you do, the more you
learn.
Describe your training, both in and out
of season?
Amen: I train pretty much all year.
My regular workout consists of five days of cardio a week, one
day of yoga and stretching, and four days of weight training with
abs every other day. On the water, I like doing tacking and jibing
drills, practice starts, stop/start drills, and team racing. I
always like playing sailing Frisbee tag.
Bonney: During practice, we make
sure to identify and work out any kinks in our boathandling and
communication. Rudderless sailing has helped me with weight placement.
We commit at least three days a week to hard sailing. As commodore
I organize special events to make sure the team gets along outside
of practice. I've pretty much turned my life over to the team,
but I think it's a fabulous way to experience college sailing.
Anything
you would do differently if you had the chance?
Bonney: If I could start from scratch,
I'd demand that I be taught to drive right away. Until this past
summer, I had shied away from learning how, and I really wish
I would've been more comfortable with being a bad skipper earlier.
It's made a world of a difference in my mentality and gratefulness
for every time that I can get back in the front of a boat.
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