Dun Laoghaire’s biggest one-design fleet sailing in Dublin Bay, the Flying Fifteens, have launched a search for competent crew to help get more boats out on the water.
The local fleet, now with 28 boats based in four locations around the harbour, has established an online crew register so that sailors looking for the close, exciting racing that the Fifteen has to offer can sign up with details of their skills and experience.
The ultimate aim is to maximise the number of boats racing each week.
Fleet Captain John O’Sullivan explains: ‘Especially around this time of year, with holidays and other commitments affecting people’s ability to sail, skippers can find it hard to get good crew.
‘We’ve been muddling through with impromptu calls, so we thought this might be a good way to allow folks declare their interest and let us build a register that gives people a bit of detail on potential crews’ abilities.
‘Just like any two-hander, crewing competitively in a Fifteen requires some previous experience, so we ask those interested to give us a rough indication of where they fit. Those who have sailed before, but perhaps not in a Flying Fifteen, usually come away impressed, especially if we’ve got a bit of a breeze!’’
Starting racing from scratch in a Fifteen is probably not a great idea for most: absolute beginners are advised to get a gentle taster in one of the waterfront club or sailing school courses, or keep an eye out for events aimed at introducing people to the sport.
Those signing up to the register will have their details pushed out to the fleet’s active mailing list, which skippers routinely use to source crew.
The form can be found on the Flying Fifteen website here
