The Crew

Simon - Skipper, helm and substitute foredeck (and sometimes all three!). Although the crew knows Simon could easily be replaced by an autotiller and a recording that says "Trim, trim, trim! No, wait ... ease!", they keep him around anyway because he always brings ice for the cooler.

Jen - Jib trim, main trim, foredeck, substitute helm, crew boss and resident speed freak. As a former windsurfer, Jen has an uncanny knack for reading the wind, and a lingering disdain for any speeds below full plane. She likes to yell at Simon to "Sail faster!" and has been known to express her annoyance at going slow by purchasing new sails.

Chris (aka Flash) - Mainsail trim, pit and tactics. Surrounded by a cone of silence, Chris brings zen-like trimming skills and octopus-armed pit control to Krikkit, and he dispenses off-colour jokes and tactical advice with equal aplomb. When not racing, he cruises aboard his own boat, Rainbow.

Mike - Jib trim, semi-submerged winch operation, rum duck recovery. The first time Mike ever stepped aboard a sailboat was at the SOAR Regatta in Squamish. The first time he ever trimmed jib the rail was underwater, with the winch semi-submerged. And the first time he gybed the main it was blowing 30 knots. No wonder he always asks "Is this normal?"

Denice - Spinnaker trim, jib trim, pit, attitude adjustment. Endowed with an upbeat outlook and biceps of spring steel, Denice loves spinnaker trim and winch grinding like a bee loves honey. She can trim a jib with the best, and only rarely gets the sheet the wrong way around the winch drum!

Ian - Jib trim, pit, substitute everything. Whether he's putting his height to good use on the foredeck, building muscles on the winches, or filling in on whatever position needs filling, Ian can frequently been heard asking Simon "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

Rob - Foredeck, tactician, substitute helm. Rob, also known as Inspector Gadget, is head of the foredeck union aboard Krikkit, and also the tactician. Which keeps things interesting when approaching weather marks. Rob, who started out racing in a 505, is also the owner and skipper of a Jeanneau Sunshine 36 that he's prepping for cruising adventures and occasional Div 3 racing.

Nick - Main trim, jib trim, navigation, sailing instruction decryption. An expat Brit, Nick grew up sailing on The Solent and first sailed aboard Krikkit in the Fraser Lightship race a few years back. Despite the fact he prefers tea rather than beer, he's a perfect fit with the Krikkit crew because he's the only one of us who knows the subtle difference between an 11:00 a.m. start and a 10:00 a.m. start.

Alex - Jib trim, pit, spinnaker apprentice, chief sassmaster. Alex invited herself aboard Krikkit during breakfast at Round Bowen, and has been a regular fixture ever since. As the boat's chief sassmaster, Alex is equally adept at trimming the sheets or putting the smack down.

Kevin - Foredeck, jib trim, substitute helm, techno geek. When he isn't trying to program his smart phone to steer the boat using celestial fixes while simultaneously making Espresso, Kevin can be found on the foredeck pondering the truth of tangled spinnaker pole bridles. Lately he has also been seen at the helm of his own family boat, a mighty San Juan 21 called Plan B.

Liam - Pit, foredeck, mast, substitute jib trim. Liam plays the bass guitar, drums, and rope clutch piano with equal aplomb, helping ensure that no one drops the spinnaker pole on deck. Liam used to think that the Krikkit crew was normal, but now he knows better.

Ashley - Jib trim, spinnaker, pit, stealth photography and pretty much any other job she can get her hands on. Ashley grew up sailing with her family on her dad's Mirage 32 in Ontario, and joined the Krikkit crew the proper sailor way, with a chance meeting in a waterfront bar.

Marek - Foredeck union, mast. After joining Krikkit as mast man, Marek used his instinctive crocheting skills to work his way up to the foredeck, running the pointy end in several VARC events and the 2010 FCYC Fall Series. He likes to yell "Helm!" at Simon and knows how to conduct a Krikkit-style spinnaker poll. He recently bought a 24-foot Beneteau too ... Team Krikkit is a terrible influence!

Chris - Jib trim, pit, roving crew. Some say his feet can rotate backwards, allowing him to change directions in the blink of an eye. Some say his lifejacket is actually a duck in a nylon harness. All we know is, if no one else is assigned to a job, someone will probably yell at Chris to do it. When not racing aboard Krikkit, Chris cruises (and sometimes races) his 24-foot C&C Gallivant.

Kate - Jib trim, spinnaker trim. An enthusiastic member of the Krikkit crew, Kate's love of a good downwind run is matched only by her fondness for a freshly-cracked Anarchist beer and her disdain for olde English judicial rules.

Jillian - Pit, jib trim, spinnaker apprentice. Jillian first joined the Krikkit crew for the VRC Summer Regatta, but it was when she turned up for the English Bay Scramble with Jack the inflatable monkey and Pinky the antisocial flamingo that we knew she was a perfect fit aboard Krikkit!

Priyesh - Jib trim, pit, maritime mixologist. Priyesh got his sailing start aboard dinghies at Jericho, and got dragooned into joining the Krikkit crew after someone slipped horse tranquilizers into his drink. When not cranking on winches, playing the rope-clutch piano or yelling "BOOM!" during gybes, Priyesh can be found belowdecks throwing rum punches around the inside of the boat.

Lisa - Jib and spinnaker trim. If it's made of nylon and fills with wind, Lisa wants to play with it. Now a regular in the Dragon fleet, Lisa occasionally comes aboard Krikkit as a rock-star guest ;-)