slug zitski
Super Anarchist
Yah
And no blood stains on deck and sails
Remember to count their fingers as they head to the bar after the race
What is considered running a "Good Program"?
- Thread starter stayoutofthemiddle
- Start date
And no blood stains on deck and sails
Remember to count their fingers as they head to the bar after the race
SloopJonB
Super Anarchist
Pretty simple formula.
Winning and having fun doing it.
Winning and having fun doing it.
SF Woody Sailor
Super Anarchist
- 1,112
- 394
The problem with that formula is that it means, by definition, 90% of the entrants in a race are failures. Winning is the objective of the race but, for an amateur team, it should not be the sole objective of the hobby.
I find it just as fun and rewarding to finish mid fleet in the Etchells Worlds as to win my division in a Friday Night Race.
slug zitski
Super Anarchist
Two motivations to participate in a regatta
trophy hunting
Or celebration of sail
nothing wrong with a celebration of sail
Starboard!!
Member
- 328
- 105
I’ve always thought of the “good programs” as the boats that I’m not good enough to sail on...
Agreed......I was part of a serious program a while ago (almost 30 yrs). It wasn’t until the boat was put up for sale (much more recently) that I actually looked at all the results listed in the ad......and realized we did pretty well.....results were not the main motivation, having fun, hanging out with some great guys in some pretty cool places, results were icing on the cake, never the main reason!
SF Woody Sailor
Super Anarchist
- 1,112
- 394
They are not mutually exclusive.
By way of example, our program (which I would consider a "good program") has done Antigua Sailing Week three times as a winter getaway. We only won our division one of those three times.
Do I consider the two times we didn't win to be failures? What a stupid question. They were all a fucking blast.
Left Shift
Super Anarchist
You can have two out of three: Fast, Cheap and Sound. The cheap part seems to be the hardest.
fucket
Anarchist
Fast Laser
Member
One of my favorite programs growing up was "I Dream of Jeannie". Barbara Eden was a hottie. I am also a fan of "Cheers" 
Kidding aside, talented well practiced crew (that actually enjoy each other's company) with a well maintained boat tends to lead to a good sailing program.
Kidding aside, talented well practiced crew (that actually enjoy each other's company) with a well maintained boat tends to lead to a good sailing program.
Latadjust
Super Anarchist
Chris in Santa Cruz CA
Super Anarchist
A boat and set of sails you can win with if staffed and prepped properly. Otherwise bring good food and drink and be clear about your chances and make it a fun learning experience.
Spoonie
Anarchist
Dunning Kruger effect. They don't know what they don't know. My experience is there's often a bunch near the top of the fleet that act like they are the top of the fleet as well.
Doesn't matter what the skill or discipline is, the difference between good, great, and exceptional is the ability to find those small things that make a big difference. The magic sauce if you like.
For my part, a good program will apply best practice to achieve most of, if not nearly all the things in the long tail. A great program has done all the things in the long tail and knows how to find the magic sauce, though doesn't yet have all the answers. On top of everything else, an exceptional program has the magic sauce finding thing down pat.
Lots of people talking about having fun etc... to me, good teamwork and dynamics should be "best practice" when it comes to sailboat racing. Unfortunately, whether on a sailboat or any organisation, achieving that magic dynamic between people is quite rare. At a club level, I'd dare suggest there are more captain blighs ruling the roost than should be. That's not how you get the best out of people. Especially volunteers out to support you with your own ambitions.
Much of the magic sauce in sailing is tacit knowledge. That is to say, it's not knowledge that easily described or explained. You can only learn that knowledge through practice and experience. You can accelerate that learning through structured "experiments", structured practice. that is to say, it's hard to run a great program without structured practice.
on the crew thing, my experience is they don't need to be rockstars. I've had a guy with me for 7 years who didn't know anything about boats when he started. He is a really awesome crew in that we sometimes don't even need to talk much (or at all) to get things done. They just happen. Good skippers will tend to have good crew gravitate to them because the crew feel enriched after their day on the water for having been out with the team.
TL;DR version: if you want to run a good program, get all the basic things right (including good team dynamics). from there, the step to having a great program rests in your team's ability to learn. Enjoying yourself while you're out there is a baseline requirement for achieving that.
*shrug*
1. Program of races put out well in advance. No chasing ppl the night before
2. Core crew (say 7 of the 10 the same for all races)
3. Any floaters know their place & listen to the established hierarchy on boat.
4. Owner who likes to push & doesn’t whinge when a kite blows up
5. Owner has a good inventory of sails & happy to upgrade within reason
6. Boat is ready to go within 30 mins of you showing up. Sure a tidy up & set up but no going for fuel or chandlery on race day. Good owners attract good crew who are happy to put in after the race or a couple of hours during the week to get it ready for next weekend.
7. No big ego’s unless they have SERIOUS race results, not club level wins
8. Beers & off water socialising with the ability to leave any mistakes on the water. ie stay friends get over it & move on
almost got 10, fuck it;
9. Hookers
10. Cocaine
2. Core crew (say 7 of the 10 the same for all races)
3. Any floaters know their place & listen to the established hierarchy on boat.
4. Owner who likes to push & doesn’t whinge when a kite blows up
5. Owner has a good inventory of sails & happy to upgrade within reason
6. Boat is ready to go within 30 mins of you showing up. Sure a tidy up & set up but no going for fuel or chandlery on race day. Good owners attract good crew who are happy to put in after the race or a couple of hours during the week to get it ready for next weekend.
7. No big ego’s unless they have SERIOUS race results, not club level wins
8. Beers & off water socialising with the ability to leave any mistakes on the water. ie stay friends get over it & move on
almost got 10, fuck it;
9. Hookers
10. Cocaine
starsinker
Member
Small egos, chuckles on the boat even if (especially if) we're deep, friendships, gelling on manouvers, minimal barking, the occasional pickle dish.
stayoutofthemiddle
Super Anarchist
- Thread starter
- #38
OD was assumed. Unless you are racing mixed matched 90 footers, anything under 50 foot should be OD or it's a waist of a Saturday! Best man wins, the best rating or best conditions for the day for that rating.
Dogfish4255
Member
You can run a good program without "winning" provided you can identify your own personal big miss as an owner/sailor, and establishing goals, budget, and crew bench that are aligned with your resources and sailing style. Reasonable balance can be pretty fun, if not competitive.
Typically the disconnect I've seen between owner/programs and their teams are major misalignments of one or more of the following; skills, budget, expectations, or sailing style/ego. I've been on both sides of this equation, sometimes as part of the problem.
Oh, and if your shit breaks down constantly, ignore all that; you have to be willing to at least pay attention enough to make the boat safe to reasonably go racing on. This happens more often than you'd think. No amount of beer fixes "oh we've blown another weekend 'cause the boat broke down again." Don't be that person.
Typically the disconnect I've seen between owner/programs and their teams are major misalignments of one or more of the following; skills, budget, expectations, or sailing style/ego. I've been on both sides of this equation, sometimes as part of the problem.
Oh, and if your shit breaks down constantly, ignore all that; you have to be willing to at least pay attention enough to make the boat safe to reasonably go racing on. This happens more often than you'd think. No amount of beer fixes "oh we've blown another weekend 'cause the boat broke down again." Don't be that person.
VWAP
Super Anarchist
You know you are running a good program when sitting in the bar drinking a few Bellinis with the commodores twin granddaughters after winning the regatta as you usually do and you are looking down at your boat seeing your crew cleaning up, putting the boat away, carrying your gear up to your car and seeing those smiles on their faces while they are drinking the six pack of beer and munching on the bag of chips you left them.
