Steering is a tough job. You can single handedly cost the team the race (been there, done that! Tempe 2007) and go from
hero to zero in just a split second. During the tense few minutes when the boats are lining up for the race, you're trying to time the approach (or back paddling) just right, angle the boat to prevent the wind from pushing us out of our lane, and make sure we don't plow over a buoy after the horn blows. And if you have someone temperamental on the boat (ahem BK), sometimes you have someone swearing at you under his/her breath.
On
Space, we are lucky to have so many skilled steersmen (and women) and even more who are eager to learn the art. Gaining the control and confidence to steer in a race takes dedication and
sacrifice. It requires weeks of practice on the oar, which equates to weeks of lost paddling time.
We all can appreciate how valuable time on the water is, so this is a
CALL TO ARMS!! If you are certified and haven't been steering consistently, be considerate to your fellow steersman and dust off that steering number! Respect that they have paddling goals as well, and
share the burden.
