OC6 Steerer's Checklist

Pre-Race:

Crew Foibles and Strengths

• Where do they excel – look for this in your race and capitalize
• Where do they fall down – practice this, or try to avoid or minimize this condition (i.e. starts, turns, passing a crew, being passed...)
• Knowledge/experience base – can you use advanced strategy or KISS principle (i.e.  what have you practiced/experienced before, will they know what you need from them, don’t ask on race day for something they’ve never heard of!)

• Practice communication cues with 5 seat, get familiar
• Practice communication cues with crew re: race manoeuvres
• Practice 6 seat changes if you intend to do one!

• Bailing procedure (who, when) (water in boat = lighter ama, unstable boat)
• Prep 5 seat to give paddle to steerer in event of lost steering blade (5 seat gets spare off iako) OR spare steering paddle
• Canoe rig (from the steerer’s perspective, on land and water, for anything which will increase need for steering or steerer’s discomfort)
• As “da boss of da canoe” you should have your own extensive rigging kit!

• Trim fore/aft and left/right
• Bow heavy= pivot point at front = stern will swim
• Stern heavy = pivot point at stern = bow will swim
• Left leaning = ama heavy = ama drag = boat pulls left
• Right leaning = ama light = ama pops = huli danger
• Ama vertical (not angled in/out which will pull the canoe)
• Ama parallel to hull ( not toed in/out which will pull the canoe)
• Ama distance 68” – 72” (too light = huli danger + steerer leaning left all race and unable to steer effectively on right, too heavy = ama drag and need for constant correction)
• Huli line (crew use) vs. Ama weight (steerer decision)

• Conditions research (predicted and actual)
• Tide change (height, speed, effect on that body of water)
• Current
• Wind
• Shallows

Weather

Tips: look at flags flying, orientation of anchored boats, sit your canoe still and look for direction of drift, whitecaps

Length of race

• Start line analysis – other crews (novice vs. Experienced, fast vs. Slow off start), geography, conditions, your crew’s strengths/foibles
• 2D map and then actual landmarks (it never looks the same from the water)
• Tips: study major landmarks on Map (i.e. the ones you can check off/not miss/use as indicators you’ve gone too far), ask locals for actual landmarks/size/color/visibility Race:
• Constant environmental scan of conditions – ANTICIPATE decisions to be made
• Scan other crews’ prograss against your own – better water or worse?
• Look for the edge (motior boat wake to use/avoid, canoe wash to use/avoid, wind break broadside wave “troughs” to shoot, etc)
• Note every bad decision for later analysis

Post-Race:

• Debrief with your crew and alone (make notes) – every phase of the race
• Note every mistake you made in order to not repeat
• Note every good decision and why it was good
• Note periods of indecision and their effects
• Compare notes with another, more experienced steerer (check your own perceptions of the race/conditions, what worked for them/why, what worked for you/why)

1. Anticipation
2. Sound and quick decision making and
3. Technical minimalism!