Crew Work Manual
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This is from my friend Peter who owns the O30 Ghost in Charlottetown, PEI. We are always dealing with pick up crew so I like to send his document around for newbs to read before getting on the boat.
If anyone has any suggestions or improvements please post in the comments section but I have found this to be very very useful.
Olson 30 Crew Work Guide
By Peter Scott – O30 178 – “Ghost”TACKING
Helm: Make sure the crew is ready. (Key on the Genoa release; you can’t turn until they are ready). Steer slowly and smoothly, carrying as much speed as far upwind as possible, without stopping the boat. Switch sides with the jib, making sure that you are set on the new side before the boat heels over.
Mainsail Trimmer: Ease traveler after tack several inches. As boat comes up to speed, pull traveler up to center line:
Headsail Trimmer #1: Release the old Genoa sheet and stay with it, making sure it runs. Take the tail from the new trimmer if they need help in moderate to heavy air.
Headsail Trimmer #2: Tail the new Genoa sheet. If you need help, pass the tail to the release person on the weather side, and do your own grinding. Do not over trim out of light to moderate air tacks. Trim gradually (communicate with helmsperson), as the boat accelerates.
Pit: Keep the weight in the right place (add heel in light air, hike in moderate to heavy). Make sure the old Genoa sheet is running.
Midship: Keep the weight in the right place (add heel in light air, hike in moderate to heavy). Make sure the old Genoa sheet is running and doesn’t catch on shrouds, spin pole or baby stay.
Bowman: Clear the sail around the mast – grab the foot and pull around the mast in light to moderate conditions to speed up the take. Skirt Genoa. Hike or create heel as necessary.
BEAR AWAY SPINNAKER SET
Driver: Bear off smoothly, making sure the sails get eased. Keep an eye on trailing boats, delaying the set to defend clear air if necessary.
Mainsail Trimmer: Ease main to turn. Don’t be afraid to over ease, particularly in breezy conditions. (Keep boat from heeling too much).
Headsail Trimmer #1: Set up the spinnaker sheet on cabin top winch with lots of slack. Ease Genoa sheet in the turn. Make sure it’s trimmed correctly for the new course before worrying about the spinnaker sheet. Pick up spinnaker sheet; trim once the sail is fully hoisted.
Headsail Trimmer #2: Set up the spinnaker guy up on the winch. With the bowman pre-pull the guy in the last two boat lengths to the mark. Pull the clew of the sail to the pole. Don’t get the pole too far back until the sail fills. It is better to have the pole slightly under-squared. This will make it easier to fill the spinnaker initially. Make sure the pole downhaul is eased as you square the pole back, but don’t let it off completely in heavy air sets. If you can use the power, ease the backstay after the kite is up and full.
Pit: Make sure the Genoa halyard is flaked and ready to run for the drop. Put the spinnaker halyard on winch. On the final approach, coordinatating with the bowman, tail the pole topping lift once the bowman has the pole setup on the mast and the topping left connected. Get the pole to its approximate downwind height. Hike out hard as the boat bears off during the rounding. Tail the spinnaker halyard as the Midship pumps it at the mast. Drop the Genoa halyard after the spinnaker is hoisted making sure the halyard runs free as the bowman pulls down the Genoa. In heavy air sets, (with the #3 up), you can delay the drop, or even leave the sail up. Ease the mainsail halyard if necessary. Make sure the pole downhaul is eased as the trimmer’s square the pole, but don’t let it off completely in heavy air sets. Release Cunningham.
Midship: Hike hard. Going into the turn, pump the spinnaker halyard at the mast – pulling it down in long pulls hand over hand. When spinnaker is up, help gather the Genoa at the clew. Release vang slightly. Let off outhaul.
Bowman: Hook up spin sheets and halyard. Undo Velcro holding clews and head together if wind is light. If wind is heavy, delay this until last minute to prevent spin from coming out of bag. Unclip the pole from the shrouds and clip it on the mast – hook up the spinnaker pole topping lift if not left pre-attached. Clip guy into outboard pole end. With trimmer, pre pull guy to pole watching to make sure that spinnaker doesn’t come out of the bag. Guide spinnaker out of the bag making sure it does not get caught on anything during hoist. Gather Genoa from bow, flaking luff and reinserting head of the sail into the pre-feeder so Genoa ready for next hoist.
IMPORTANT: Bowman calls when the hoist can happen – Indicate very loudly when ready to hoist. Tactician (whoever – helm, main trimmer, jib trimmer) makes the final decision when to hoist ONLY after the bowman indicates ready.
GYBE SPINNAKER SET
Driver: Bear off smoothly, making sure the sails get eased and continue onto other gybe. Keep an eye on trailing boats.
Mainsail Trimmer: Ease main to turn. Don’t be afraid to over ease, particularly in breezy conditions. (Keep boat from heeling too much). Grab all the parts of the mainsheet and heave it across when it unloads.
Headsail Trimmer #1: Set up the spinnaker guy on winch with lots of slack. Ease Genoa sheet until boat gybes at which point let Genoa sheet run free and pull lots of slack in front of the Genoa block. After pole is hoisted by pit, pick up the spinnaker guy and pull the sail to the pole and set the pole square to the wind during the hoist. Don’t get the pole too far back until the sail fills. It is better to have the pole slightly under-squared. This will make it easier to fill the spinnaker initially. Make sure the pole downhaul is eased as you square, but don’t let it off completely in heavy air sets. If you can use the power ease the backstay after everything else is set.
Headsail Trimmer #2: Set up the spinnaker sheet up on the windward Genoa sheet winch – jib can be pulled around by hand and cleated without putting on the winch. Hike hard. As the boat turns downwind for the gybe, start pulling the jib sheet over for the gybe – don’t pull too hard – keep an eye on the Genoa sheet and the bowman guiding the Genoa around the spinnaker pole and topping lift. Once Genoa is set reasonably well for new gybe, cleat the Genoa and pick up the spinnaker sheet and start to trim once the sail is fully hoisted.
Pit: Make sure the Genoa halyard is flaked and ready to run. Keep lots of slack in the pole topping lift so Genoa does not tangle with pole during gybe. As soon as gybe completed, tail the pole topping lift setting pole to approximate height and cleat the topping lift. Tail the spinnaker halyard as the Midship pumps it at the mast. Drop the Genoa halyard once the spinnaker is up. In heavy air sets, (with the #3 up), you can delay the drop, or even leave the sail up. Ease the mainsail halyard if necessary. Release Cunningham.
Midship: Hike hard. Going into the turn, go to the mast, grab the slack in the topping lift and keep it snug against the mast and pole so it will not tangle with the jib during the gybe. Get ready to pump the spinnaker halyard. Wait until the boat has completed the gybe and the bowman and pit have set the pole to its correct height before starting to hoist. Pump spinnaker at the mast – pulling it down in long pulls hand over hand. When spinnaker is up, help gather the Genoa from the clew. Release vang slightly. Let off outhaul.
Bowman: Hook up spin sheets and halyard. Undo Velcro holding clews and head together if wind is light. If wind is heavy, delay this until last minute to prevent spin from coming out of bag. Unclip the pole from the shrouds and clip it on the mast – hook up the spinnaker pole topping lift if not left pre-attached. Make sure the windward Genoa sheet is rigged over and in front of the pole and pole topping lift – pull plenty of slack in the windward Genoa sheet.
Set pole end to leeward and reach up under Genoa to grab leeward spinnaker sheet (which will be the guy once you’ve gybed and set) and clip into outboard pole end. As the boat is gybing, quickly pull the Genoa out and around in front of the pole and topping lift. Once the Genoa is cleared around and the boat is gybed, raise the pole by hand holding it and indicate to pitman to raise the pole. If Velcro strap still attached to clews and head, undo. Guide spinnaker out of the bag making sure it does not get caught on anything. Gather Genoa from bow, flaking luff and reinserting head of the sail into the pre-feeder so Genoa ready for next hoist.
IMPORTANT: Bowman calls when the hoist can happen – Indicate very loudly when ready to hoist. Tactician (whoever – helm, main trimmer, jib trimmer) makes the final decision when to hoist ONLY after the bowman indicates ready.
SPINNAKER JIBES
Driver: Steer slowly and smoothly. Do not turn any faster than the trimmers rotate the spinnaker. Keep the boat under the spinnaker, but turn completely from broad reach to broad reach. Do not stop in the middle, or try to hold the boat dead downwind while the pole work is being completed. This is a sure way to get a wrap.
Mainsail Trimmer: Grab all the parts of the mainsheet and heave it across when it unloads.
Headsail Trimmer #1: Take both spinnaker sheets – it is better if one person does both if possible. Trim back on the old guy, ease the old sheet, keeping the sail flying throughout the jibe – the spinnaker has to be rotated around the front of the boat as the boat is turning. Pass off sheet or guy to the other trimmer after the jibe is complete.
Headsail Trimmer #2: Pass the spinnaker sheet or guy off to your fellow trimmer. Help gybe the main if necessary – in light air, main may get caught on backstay – in heavy air, main trimmer may need help pulling main across. Pick up the new sheet or guy (depending on which side you are on), as jibe is completed.
Pit: Ease pole (1 to 2 feet max) downhaul as necessary to help the bowman. Pull downhaul on after bowman reconnects the pole.
Midship: Sitting just behind the shrouds on leeward side, grab and hold the spinnaker sheet for the bowman to keep it from flying away as the bowman disconnects the pole from mast. Help bowman to reattach the pole in heavier air jibes. Adjust the spinnaker twings as required by the spinnaker trimmers.
Bowman: End for end the spinnaker pole:
1. Disconnect pole from the mast.
2. Insert new guy into pole.
3. Release old guy from pole.
4. Push pole outboard and forward, reattach to mast. Yell “made”SPINNAKER DOUSES
Douse to leeward or windward based on what you think the next set will be. For example, if rounding all marks to port, a bear away set would be a port set, so you will want to take down the spinnaker on the port side of the boat. If coming into the leeward mark on starboard tack, you can do a leeward douse. If coming in on port tack, you will need to do a windward douse. If conditions are windy and windward douse is impossible, do a leeward douse and spinnaker will need to be repacked.
LEEWARD SPINNAKER DOUSE
Driver: Come in wide (1 boat length if possible) and go out close around the mark! You should be close hauled with the telltales streaming as you pass the mark. Steer slow and smooth, but make sure you stick it up hard and close to the mark, so that there is no room for the competition to get inside to windward.
Mainsail Trimmer: have upwind sail controls (backstay) set well before you reach the mark – have Midship tighten vang, outhaul and Cunningham as necessary. Have pit tighten main halyard. Over trim the main a little before the rounding so that you don’t have to pull in the entire sheet while rounding. Trim the mainsheet smoothly and rapidly to turn the boat as the driver heads up. Remember, you are turning the boat.
Headsail Trimmer #1: Check jib leads, sheet and other upwind controls well before you reach the mark. Make sure the guy is coiled and ready to run. Release the guy only once the gatherers have their hands on either the spinnaker itself or the sheet. Help tail the jib sheet from the weather side if necessary (moderate to heavy air).
Headsail Trimmer #2: Check jib leads, sheet and upwind controls. Just before the halyard is blown, over trim the spinnaker sheet. Tail/Grind jib sheet as the boat turns- keep the telltales flowing throughout. Pass tail to your fellow trimmer if you need help in a breeze and do your own grinding.
Pit: Tighten main halyard well before the mark. Tighten Cunningham. Make sure the spinnaker halyard is flaked and ready to run well before the mark. Hoist Genoa to settings for previous beat. Blow the spinnaker halyard when the skipper gives the call. Lower the halyard in a controlled fashion to the gatherers giving them enough to pull the spinnaker down without dumping it in the water. Lower pole slowly with topping lift as boat rounds the mark so pole end sits on bow – don’t hit bowman on the head. Move weight to weather or leeward side as necessary as soon as possible
Midship: Tighten outhaul and vang for upwind. Go below if necessary to open forward hatch. Gather spinnaker pulling down the hatch from position either standing or sitting in the hatch. Pull/stuff the sheets and halyards into the hatch leaving them attached to the spinnaker. Shut the hatch and move to the rail to hike.
Bowman: Make sure the jib sheets are lead over and in front of the pole and topping lift. Jump Genoa halyard at the mast during the hoist. Grab the spinnaker sheet and pull it in underneath the jib and jib sheets. Get the sheet into the hands of the Midshipman who is standing/sitting in the hatch. Gather in the foot of the spinnaker first and then quickly pull down the spinnaker stuffing into the hatch. Once the spinnaker is mostly under control of the midshipman, get ready for the rounding. Skirt the Genoa as trimmers pull it in. With pit, lower the pole gently until outboard end rests on deck.
Two options for dealing with the pole:
Option a) Leave the pole attached to the match and lower the spinnaker car pole. Pull lots of slack in the topping lift and Velcro the topping lift to the spinnaker car. Pole can stay in this position for the entire beat.
Option b) Take the pole of the mast and attach aft end to the shrouds – leave forward end unattached. Pull lots of slack in the topping lift and Velcro it to the shrouds.
If it’s windy, prefer option a as you can move your weight to windward rail quicker.
Unless you need to repack the spinnaker, leave the sheet and guys attached to the spinnaker. Spinnaker halyard will be run underneath the jib. After first tack, pull some slack in the spinnaker halyard and lead it to the bow and Velcro slack in halyard to bow pulpit so halyard will not tangle with jib when you tack back.
If you need to repack the spinnaker, disconnect sheet, guy and halyard when convenient (after the boat is settled and going fast and everyone else is on the rail)
Move weight to windward or leeward side as necessary.
WINDWARD SPINNAKER DOUSE:
Used when you want to pull the spinnaker down on a particular side to set up for a future spinnaker. Key is to get the pole down and cleared early and free fly the spinnaker. Midship needs to act as human spinnaker pole.
Driver: same as leeward douse
Mainsail Trimmer: same as leeward douse
Headsail Trimmer #1: same as leeward douse
Headsail Trimmer #2: same as leeward douse
Pit: same as leeward douse except need to help the bowman get rid of the pole before the takedown. Lower the pole after bow disconnects it from the guy.
Midship: PRIMARY ROLE is get the spinnaker down CLEAN and ORGANIZED. Set outhaul, Cunningham, and vang for upwind. Go below if necessary to open forward hatch. Once bowman removes the spinnaker pole, Midship will need to act as human spinnaker pole holding out the guy by hand as far as possible in order to keep the spinnaker full.
CLEAN and ORGANIZED: When dousing the kite – MAKE SURE the windward slack Genoa sheet is behind the hatch so that the end result is that spinnaker comes down underneath the jib, not tangled up in it’s jib sheets. If the windward (slack) Genoa sheet is in front of the hatch, you will be pulling the spinnaker down BETWEEN the jib sheets and there will be a clusterfuck at some point trying to sort out the mess.
During the drop, pull on the guy quickly until you grab the foot of the spinnaker. Gather spinnaker into boat pulling down the hatch from position either standing or sitting in the hatch. Pull/stuff the sheets and halyards into the hatch leaving them attached to the spinnaker. Shut the hatch and move to the rail to hike.
Bowman: PRIMARY ROLE is to get the pole down and out of the way. Hoisting the jib, jump the Genoa halyard at the mast. Disconnect the pole, lower it to the deck and stow it with Genoa sheets leading over the pole and topping lift. Pull slack in the topping lift and Velcro to the shrouds underneath the jib sheets. At this point, spinnaker will be free flying with midship acting as the pole holding out the guy at this point.
Once the pole is down and stowed, help Midship douse the kite – keep in mind CLEAN and ORGANIZED from above.
Unless you need to repack the spinnaker, leave the sheet and guys attached to the spinnaker. Spinnaker halyard will be on the windward side – pull some slack in halyard and lead it to the bow and Velcro the slack in the halyard to the bow pulpit so halyard will not tangle with jib when you tack back.
If you need to repack the spinnaker, disconnect sheet, guy and halyard when convenient (after the boat is settled and going fast and everyone else is on the rail)
Move weight to windward or leeward side as necessary.
MEXICAN DOUSE:
This is a variation of the windward “pole-less” dose when you want to jibe around the mark. The idea is to get the pole down early and stowed so that you can gybe the jib without getting tangled in the pole. You can do a MEXICAN douse pulling the spinnaker down either to windward or to leeward depending on what side you want to have the spinnaker on for a future set. You can pull the spinnaker down to windward before you gybe or to leeward after you gybe (same side) OR to setup for setting on the opposite side, you can pull the spinnaker down to leeward before you gybe or to windward after. It doesn’t really matter as long as the pole is stowed and out of the way early.
Deciding whether to douse to before or after the gybe depends on the wind conditions. In light air, need to keep the spinnaker up and drawing as long as possible so douse after the gybe to windward or leeward depending on next set preference. In a breeze, you want the spinnaker down early, so douse before the gybe again either to windward or leeward depending on next set preference.
Again, the Midship needs to act as human spinnaker pole and the same CLEAN and ORGANIZED principle of pulling the spinnaker down in front of the slack windward jib sheet (if dousing to windward) applies.
Driver: same as leeward douse
Mainsail Trimmer: same as leeward douse
Headsail Trimmer #1: same as leeward douse
Headsail Trimmer #2: same as leeward douse
Pit: same as leeward douse except need to help the bowman get rid of the pole before the takedown. Lower the pole after bow disconnects it from the guy.
Midship: PRIMARY ROLE is get the spinnaker down CLEAN and ORGANIZED (in front of jib sheets if douse to windward) on the right side for the next set. Set outhaul, Cunningham, and vang for upwind. Go below if necessary to open forward hatch. Once bowman removes the spinnaker pole, Midship will need to act as human spinnaker pole holding out the guy by hand as far as possible in order to keep the spinnaker full.
Whether to windward or to leeward gather spinnaker into boat pulling down the hatch from position either standing or sitting in the hatch. Pull/stuff the sheets and halyards into the hatch leaving them attached to the spinnaker. Shut the hatch and move to the rail to hike.
Bowman: PRIMARY ROLE is to get the pole down and out of the way. Hoisting the jib, jump the Genoa halyard at the mast. Disconnect the pole from guy and mast, lower it to the deck and stow it with Genoa sheets leading over the pole and topping lift. Pull slack in the topping lift and Velcro to the shrouds underneath the jib sheets.
Alternatively, the pole can be simply disconnected from the guy, lowered on the mast, with the outboard end resting on the deck and the topping lift velcroed to the spinnaker pole ring. Make sure spinnaker comes down underneath the pole.
At this point, spinnaker will be free flying with midship acting as the pole holding out the guy at this point.
Once the pole is down and stowed, help Midship douse the kite – keep in mind CLEAN and ORGANIZED from above.
Unless you need to repack the spinnaker, leave the sheet and guys attached to the spinnaker. Spinnaker halyard will be on the windward side – pull some slack in halyard and lead it to the bow and Velcro the slack in the halyard to the bow pulpit so halyard will not tangle with jib when you tack back.
If you need to repack the spinnaker, disconnect sheet, guy and halyard when convenient (after the boat is settled and going fast and everyone else is on the rail)
Move weight to windward or leeward side as necessary.
Other Responsibilities
At the Start:
Bow is responsible for calling other boats and distance to the line in the final countdown. Shouting is not only OK, but is MANDATORY to be heard.
Main trimmer calls the time for countdown – every 30 seconds before last minute, every 10 seconds in last minute, and from 10 down to 1.
After the start:
Jib trimmer needs to look out for boats on other tack and call starboard or notify helmsman as required.
Bowman and midshipman call puffs – try to give an indication of timing. i.e. BIG PUFF in 10 – practice estimating time of arrival of puffs.
Jib trimmers keep track of wind compass angles (lifts and headers) upwind on both tacks.
Jib trimmers or main trimmer informs helmsman of speed on nearby boats as required – i.e. faster and lower than “A”, higher and slower than “B”.
Jib trimmers or main trimmer informs helmsman of positioning on important competition – “A” who we have to beat is tacking away, “B” has tacked towards us – going to be a tight crossing situation, etc.
Exhaustive! They must grow their people smaller than their potatoes if they can fit seven crew on the boat.
Largest change I would suggest would be in the tacking. We always have one person dedicated to grind/final trim, and the other always tailing. These duties usually do not change through the regatta. If the tailer gets tired, we will bring the floater into that position. The way this guide is written, it sounds like the final trimmer is usually tailing as well.
We usually have the two trimmers working together through gybes as well, unless we have a really green person as trim2.
On Old School, we sail with six: helm, trim1, trim2, floater, mast, foredeck. The floater is typically a third trimmer, floating between main trim if windy and spelling off trim3. We do not have a pit…the mast man is the pit as all halyards and pole controls are at the mast.
Hey – don’t be insulting the PEI potatoes by calling them small – that’s part of our identity out here…just kidding.
I took this guide from an UK crew work guide from the J30 and modified it to fit the way we sail the Olson (or the way I thought we should sail it) about 5ish years ago.
Since then, a few things have changed – while we’ve always tried to sail with 7 (a mixture of light weights and heavy weights), we often end up with 5 or 6 and I find the boat goes pretty much just as well although we can’t hold the No. 1 as long – which may be a good thing for the boat.
If you asked my crew if they got much use out of this – they would probably deny it. However, writing (or rewriting) it caused me to examine how we sail the boat and I think has turned me into a better crew work coordinator. We have enough yearly turn over in crew (1-2 people come and go) that the first half of our season is just about teaching everyone the mechanics of sailing the boat.
Anyway – we’ll see next week – guys in California have the nationals, you guys in the lakes have the North Americans…so I figure me and Jonny will be racing for the Olson 30 Worlds next week in Chester, Nova Scotia ;-)
Well, Peter, if the worlds are to be in Nova Scotia, it is only fair that the Chesapeake Bay gang sponsor the Inter-Galactics.
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