To work in equipment

In the most important boat of regatas it is the communication between all the crew members. And it is necessary to train and to prepare themselves so that he is fluid and effective. It is very important to use a set of common terms to which all are customary.

In order to indicate a same thing always we must use the same word so that it does not admit doubles interpretations and that everybody understands the same. And all the crew must coexist the sufficient thing to each other, so that they are customary and there are not confusions. In order to simplify and to know clearly the distances everybody uses the length like unit of measurement. For example we will speak “To cross a wake located to 3 lengths”. It is much more easy to measure the things in comparison with the length of our own boat that to begin to speak of meters, since normally as much exactitude is not necessary. When we are arriving at a buoy in which we must turn, he is much more simple to warn saying “buoy to 3 lengths”, so that everybody interprets of direct form what lack to arrive.

Another typical example of clarity and forcefulness in the communication is the warning of the arrival of a wave. The one in charge to watch will shout them “Wave” so that all are kind against the arrival of an impact outside the common thing. Obvious in bad sea he would not have sense “to sing them” all under pain to finish “tared” therefore useless warning. The exceptionally strong ones are only due to warn that they leave the half present state of the sea.

In regatas it is important to speak of the course that we do with respect to a boat with which we are fighting ourselves. And the same will happen with the speed, that frequently we will indicate in relation to our competitor. For example we will say that we go to naked means (half naked more than the boat to which we finished surpassing).

The tactical one is the person in charge to secure a fluid communication between all the crew members. And he is high-priority, since to make good decisions it must count on the greater possible information. Data that come from the rest of the crew. The communication must circulate in two-way traffic since with these data the tactical one will make decisions that must circulate now to the crew members, so that they can be executed.

The tactical one must be made understand and to be an equipped good person for the communication. Its equipment must trust him and any data susceptible to be interesting must be indicated to the tactical one. It is better than the tactical one receives a little irrelevant information to that some important data remains in the inkpot and never arrives at its ears. When the crews are very complex, the helmsman who obvious works elbow with elbow with the tactical one can help to receive the data of the rest of the crew and to filter the data to him that do not have too much importance for the tactical one. Naturally so that this works, it must have a great mutual understanding and tactical understanding between and helmsman.

But for a good communication also a good organization in the tasks must exist that each is called to carry out. In the work in equipment the communication does not have to be something isolated that only happens against special events. On the contrary we must also establish a certain routine with which periodically information is reported towards the tactical one.

In the equipment of regatas many specialists, each one of the work as she must carry out his work of impeccable form and without distractions.

The Forward one is the one that warns of the arrival of a especially worrisome wave, and when we go with lifting winds, the forward one also will warn if it sees that a boat ahead loses wind and changes his yield, for example because it has taken a gust of wind. All this information will be of great importance for the tactical one located in the stern of the boat.

The navigator who sometimes will be located near the mast foot will inform into the position of the boat with respect to “laylines” and the possible strategy that is due to follow. Something slowr, the one in charge of the piano will control the angle and wind direction having verified if this it changes more than 3 or 4 degrees.

Soon those go that fit the candles so that they are always giving to the best yield whatever angle with respect to the wind and its intensity. Trimmer of the Genoa and candles of prow in addition to fit these candles optimally must warn as the boat with respect to the other participants goes who are windward. The one in charge to fit the major also will help the helmsman and will warn of the wind force, of the degree of he lists of the boat and to make a summary of the adjustments of all the candles.

When empopada is sailed of, also it must warn and control the seat of the boat. With lifting winds, between him and trimmer they will take the boat more than the helmsman, following how they fit the candles.

The helmsman in continuous communication with the tactical one will indicate on the “sensations” that the boat when governing passes on, through the cane or of the wheel.

The helmsman also must pay special attention to the wind changes, as much in direction as in intensity, communicating it immediately to the tactical one, that with all this “chain” of information the tactics will have to elaborate to continue valuing the risks of each possible option to take.

Thus one works in equipment; the key is in the good communication.