By Ken Legler, Head Sailing Coach, Tufts University
In other kinds of sailboat racing substitutions of personnel is rare. College sailing is a team sport and some limits do exist. Here are the basic rules: In team racing substitution is unlimited but in fleet racing it is unlimited within each division. Between divisions, skippers can never switch divisions and crews can switch divisions once (and thereafter skipper if desired). That can be a bit confusing as there are many possibilities for teams to best use substitutes.
The moat common substitute is the heavy crew. In minor regattas most team bring only the minimum personnel but in majors, particularly championships, there can be many players ready to sub in. Teams go “heavy” in winds around 15 and above depending upon the size of the “light” crew, skipper size, and whether or not they’re racing an FJ or 420. 420s are more weight sensitive than FJs due to the wide waterline so optimum weight is less in light air and more in heavy air. Underweight teams in FJs can get away without switching up with technique, etc. Likewise, big sailors can get away with being a bit heavy in FJs by out-roll-tacking their opponents. Some teams will even have three crews, light, medium, and heavy, ready for championships in 420s.
The next most common substitution is when a skipper with a luckluster performance gets “pulled.” This can be tricky with egos involved, especially for teams with no coach present but at majors, almost every team has a coach. Often a new skipper will also have his regular crew come in too but with alternate crews we’re talking large vehicle for all these sailors. Too many alternates and those with the least chance of getting in can distract the others. I witnessed BC’s solution to this problem during a recent national championship (which they won). The tenth sailor, where only four start, was given the task of blogging to their alumni and friends list throughout the racing.
Speaking of BC, they have another policy for subs that few teams employ. They are all dressed with pinnies on ready to sail however likely or unlikely they are to go in. On most teams the “heavies” don’t want to gear up in a calm as they might appear too eager to replace the starters. I guess it’s not cool. That will change as teams copy the champions and take a more professional approach. Also, skippers who are really comfortable with their light crew are more hesitant to switch to the “heavy” unless the coach says so. Teams from light air practice venues (small rivers and lakes) spend less time practicing with their “heavies” and can be more reluctant to switch crews.
Here are a couple of other substitution “tricks.” In the (really) old days of cat rigged dinghies (Interclubs, Techs, etc.) weight was not as big a factor. Back then (late 60’s) there were no women at the service academies and some “varsities” didn’t allow women on the team anyway (which was just wrong.) The “B” skipper would crew in the first “A” race, then switch to “B” as skipper. This allowed that “B” skipper to experience the race course and perhaps pick up tips from the “A” skipper. With light crews, no one does this anymore. One trick that many do use is having crews switch divisions. Some teams will have a tall 420 crew and a short and agile FJ crew. 420s need more leverage but FJs require more agility as they tack more and tip more on roll tacks. In regattas where the two divisions switch classes half way through, the heavies will often switch divisions to stay in their particular class, FJ or 420.
A single heavy crew, let’s say for a team with only five seat belts in their vehicle, might switch divisions to sail more races. They can only switch once but if the two divisions are being contested only one division at a time, the heavy could sail the last set in both divisions. Franny Charles, MIT Sailing Master, did just that in his penultimate regatta as an undergrad. He crewed in the last four “A” races, then switched and crewed in the last two “B” races. By winning the last race in each division, Franny helped his team move into first to win a championship.
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Let’s finish with one final example, albeit a wordy one. At 1990 nationals at MIT, three of the top four teams used radically different substitution strategies. The one team that did not substitute, dropped from first to third. Fourth place Navy wasn’t quite ready to win (though they won the next year by a record margin) but were players none-the-less. They had a talented freshman, Keith Davids, skippering in “A” but after a number of “freshmen” mistakes, coach Gary Bodie pulled him. In goes a senior who promptly gets second. “See, that’s how it’s done” declared Bodie to Davids and the frosh went back in for the remainder doing quite well. The seniors were good but not good enough to win figured Bodie so they were there as role players including the unusual role of sailing one race, getting second, and coming back out. Then there was Old Dominion. After four mediocre finishes by “B” skipper Jimmy Weber, coach KC Fulmer plugged in Marty Kullman, a single-handed expert for the remaining four Tech dinghy races. Kullman won all four, then got pulled when the division switched to Larks with lighter Weber going back in. Never seen that before. Out doing all with a timely substitution and taking the title in last race from ODU was UC Irvine. Super fast “A” skipper Jamie Malm came out of the final race in Techs so match racing expert, Nick Adamson, could take on ODU’s superstar Terry Hutchinson. The move worked as Adamson put enough points on Hutchinson and stayed close enough to a fading Tufts to take the title. Their “B” team included John Sturman and Nick Scandone; yes that Nick Scandone of Paralympic legend. And yes, it was my Tufts team that never subbed, despite having a fast Lark team ready for the second half of “B” racing. It just didn’t seem like the right thing to do when leading. Lesson learned.
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