All roles/Deck and Bridge/Professional Sailing Crew / Race Crew
Deck and Bridge
Professional Sailing Crew / Race Crew
You sail and race large performance yachts, working the bow, pit, mast or grinders on regatta days and keeping the boat, sails and rig ready between events. A good race crew turns a heavy sailing yacht into a winning one.
- Department
- Deck and Bridge
- Reports to
- Yacht Captain
- Yacht size
- 25m to 60m+ sailing yachts
- Contract
- Seasonal, permanent or per regatta
- Starting pay
- €3,500 per month
What the job is
Race crew work on sailing yachts that compete on the superyacht and maxi circuits: the Superyacht Cup Palma, Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta in Porto Cervo, St Barths Bucket, Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and the big offshore races. You hold a set position, usually bow, mast, pit, trimmer or grinder, and you own it. On race days that means clean hoists, fast peels and tidy drops with a tactician shouting the timings.
Between events the job is close to a deckhand role with far more rope. You check and service winches, blocks and hardware, flake and pack sails, run halyards and sheets, and go aloft for rig checks. You help load race sails and gear, strip the boat of cruising kit before a regatta and put it back afterwards. On permanent programmes you also wash down, varnish and drive the tender like any other deck crew.
Programmes vary. Some owners keep a full-time core crew of six to ten and add specialist pros for events. Others hire a large race crew per regatta on a day rate, with travel and accommodation covered. You will spend a lot of time in airports and crew houses. The work is physical, the margins are small, and a mistake on the foredeck is visible to the whole fleet.
What makes a good one
- Big boat bow and mast work
- Sail handling and packing
- Rigging and hardware maintenance
- Working aloft safely
- Calm under race pressure
A day in the life
- 06:30Crew breakfast in the crew house, then a short walk to the marina. The boat captain briefs the deck on overnight jobs.
- 07:30Rig and deck checks. You look over the halyards, sheets and pins, test the hydraulics and confirm the sail stack is packed in race order.
- 09:00Race briefing with the tactician and navigator. Wind forecast, course options and each crew position's job at the start are run through.
- 10:15Lines off and motor to the race area. Main goes up, then practice tacks, gybes and a spinnaker hoist and drop to settle timings.
- 11:30Start sequence and race. You work your position through the windward leg, the asymmetric set at the top mark and a peel on the run.
- 15:00Finish, drop sails and tow or motor home. The bow team flakes the main and bags the kites while the boat is still moving.
- 16:30Debrief on the aft deck. What worked, what cost time, and any damage to repair before tomorrow.
- 17:30Repairs and turnaround. A chafed sheet is replaced, a torn spinnaker goes to the sail loft and the deck is washed down.
- 19:30Off to the regatta crew party or back to the house to rest. Dock call is 07:30 again tomorrow.
Pay by country
Monthly salary for full-time race programme crew on yachts in the 25m to 60m+ range. Specialist pros hired per event are usually paid a day rate of €250 to €700 plus travel and accommodation. Results bonuses are common; charter tips apply only if the yacht also charters.
- France and Monaco
- €3,500 – 5,000
- Spain
- €3,500 – 5,000
- Italy
- €3,500 – 5,000
- United Kingdom
- £3,000 – 4,300
- USA (Florida)
- US$3,800 – 5,500
- Caribbean
- US$3,800 – 5,500
- UAE
- AED 14,000 – 20,000
- Australia
- A$6,000 – 8,500
- New Zealand
- NZ$6,500 – 9,500
Required
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
- World Sailing Offshore Personal Survival Training (offshore races)
Recommended
- RYA Yachtmaster Offshore
- RYA Powerboat Level 2
- PDSD
- Efficient Deck Hand (EDH)
- Medical First Aid
- IRATA Rope Access Level 1
Visas
- Schengen
- US B1/B2 or C1/D
- Australian MCV
- Right to work in the UK for UK based programmes
Where it leads
- Daywork Deckhand
- Deckhand
- Professional Sailing Crew / Race Crew
- Bosun / Boatswain
- Chief Officer / First Mate
- Yacht Captain
Professional Sailing Crew / Race Crew jobs open now
Questions crew ask
Do I need dinghy or keelboat racing experience to get on a race programme?
Yes, in practice. Programmes want crew who have raced, whether in dinghies, J/70s, TP52s or offshore. A big boat CV with named regattas and positions sailed counts for more than tickets.
Will my World Sailing classification matter?
It can. Some events and class rules limit the number of Group 3 professionals on board, so owners plan crew lists around classification. Paid race crew are usually Group 3.
Is it a full-time job or just regattas?
Both exist. Larger performance yachts keep a permanent core crew who maintain and deliver the boat between events, while extra pros are flown in per regatta on day rates.