Professional Sailing Crew / Race Crew
Race crew are the sailors who make a big boat go round the course. Some are permanent deckhands on sailing superyachts, hired because they can race. Others are freelance professionals flown in for a regatta to run the bow, pit or trim. Either way, owners and captains pay for proven boat handling, and your reputation travels quickly around the docks.
The jobWhat fills the day
The job has two halves. On race days you hold a position: bow, mast, pit, grinder, mainsail or headsail trim. You prepare sails, check rigging, run manoeuvres in drills and take orders from the tactician without argument. Between regattas you are a working deckhand. You wash down, varnish, service winches and blocks, flake sails, look after tenders and help with deliveries between Palma, Porto Cervo, Antigua and St Barths.
Scale changes everything. On a 25m maxi or TP52 programme the loads are manageable and a crew of 12-15 race pros handle most of it. On a 45m sloop or a J Class the loads are enormous, hydraulics run the sheets, and one mistake on the bow can break a rig or a person. Guests on board for a superyacht regatta add another layer: you race hard, then turn the boat back into a polished charter yacht by evening.
Captains hire people with a racing CV they can verify. Dinghy or keelboat background, offshore miles, a Sydney Hobart or Fastnet, time on a known programme, and someone they trust who will vouch for you. Fitness matters, especially for bow and grinding. Freelancers get repeat calls by being on time, sober at the dock and easy to share a crew house with. Permanent crew also need the usual STCW and ENG1.
Many race crew build sea time and move up the deck ladder: lead deckhand, bosun, mate, then captain of a sailing yacht, where race knowledge is a real advantage. Others specialise and become boat captains on race programmes, sail coordinators or riggers. A smaller group stay freelance for years, following the circuit from the Caribbean in winter to the Mediterranean in summer and living on day rates.
Skills captains look for
- Bow and mast work
- Sail trim
- Winch and hydraulic handling
- Rigging inspection
- Offshore watchkeeping
- Physical fitness
- Sail care and repair
A day aboardRace day, 42m sailing sloop, superyacht regatta in Porto Cervo
Crew breakfast and briefing from the captain and tactician on weather, course options and start sequence.
Strip the deck of guest furniture, stow cushions below and rig race sheets, guys and the code zero.
Bow team goes aloft to check the forestay, halyard sheaves and spreader tips before the boat leaves the dock.
Motor out, hoist and run practice gybes and peels until the timing is clean.
Start sequence and race. You hold your position for three hours, calling distances and driving manoeuvres on command.
Sandwiches and water in the cockpit on the sail back to Porto Cervo.
Drop and flake sails, wash salt off winches and deck hardware, log any damage for the sailmaker.
Put guest furniture back, polish stainless and set up the aft deck for the owner's evening.
Debrief on the dock, then off for the crew party or an early night before tomorrow's race.
Pay by yacht sizeMonthly, before tips. Estimates. Bars share one scale.
Freelance race pros usually work on day rates of roughly USD 300-700 plus flights, crew housing and meals, with top trimmers and bowmen earning more. Permanent crew on sailing yachts may also share charter tips and get regatta bonuses. See the Bosun & Deckhand salary guide for figures from live adverts.
Tickets and visas
Must have
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical certificate
Gets you hired
- RYA Yachtmaster Offshore
- World Sailing Offshore Personal Survival
- PDSD
- RYA Powerboat Level 2
- Yacht rigging course
Visas
- US B1/B2
- Schengen right to work
Where it leadsA typical career path
Bosun & Deckhand jobsOpen now on SuperyachtRoles.com
Questions crew ask
Do I need a racing background to get hired?
For a position like bow or trim, yes. Captains want verifiable regatta or offshore experience, and dinghy or keelboat racing at club or national level is a common starting point. Without it, take a deckhand job on a sailing yacht with a race programme and earn your place in drills.
Is race crew work full time?
It can be. Permanent crew on sailing superyachts work all year and race at the Bucket, Loro Piana or Superyacht Cup events. Freelancers go from regatta to regatta and often have quiet weeks between events, so their income is less predictable.
Which regattas should I aim for?
The superyacht circuit covers the St Barths Bucket, Antigua Superyacht Challenge, Superyacht Cup Palma, Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta in Porto Cervo and Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez. On the maxi side, the Rolex Sydney Hobart, Fastnet and Middle Sea Race are what captains look for on a CV.
How do freelance race crew find work?
Mostly through word of mouth from boat captains, sail coordinators and other pros. Walk the docks in Palma or Antigua before big events, keep a short sailing CV up to date and say yes to deliveries. Teams rebook the people who show up on time and don't cause problems.