What is the Pickup Crew List?
The Pickup Crew List matches available Pickup Crew with Club members who are shorthanded for Wednesday Night Races, Sunday Afternoon Races or regattas throughout the season (May through the end of October). If you are looking for a casual crew spot on a racing sailboat, the Pickup Crew List is perfect for you. Experience helps but isn't mandatory. Attitude, enthusiasm and interest are key to you being a successful crew.
For people interested in a more regular crew spot, a couple thoughts for you to consider...
- the Pickup Crew List is a good way to meet other sailors and the skippers who are looking for crew. Be sure to come to the Club after racing for the social.
- consider joining the Club and sail our Co-op Boats. We have capacity for 30 people each week on the Club's dinghies and keelboats, many more opportunities to sail regularly.
We've had a few questions recently about the Pickup Crew List, and should clarify to ensure hopes or expectations about the crew list are aligned with what you will experience:
- There are no guaranteed crew spots every week (some weeks there are few or no vacancies, and the Pickup Crew List is designed as a rotation system to get the most people possible out sailing)
- Being Pickup Crew doesn't provide a formal learning environment (the sailors on the boat have their hands full sailing the boat during the race) and members have differing abilities to coach their Pickup Crew.
Getting Started as Pickup Crew
If you are new to sailing, welcome! Our Free Racing School covers everything that happens on the water during a sailboat race so you will enjoy your time crewing on a racing sailboat a bit more.
For those with sailing experience, no matter where you have sailed previously Calgary's one-design fleet racing is great. Glenmore's winds and the tight competition will challenge you.
So... sign up and we look forward to seeing you on the water and at the Club.
Recommended Crew Gear