Inside Tack - Demistifying the pit and mastman

This edition’s Inside Tack focuses on the key roles of the mastman who works at the mast and the pitman who controls all the halyards and control lines in the pit.

Ideal candidates should be physically strong, skillful co-ordinators, effective communicators and should be as cool as a cucumber in the heat of the moment

Pitman

In a nutshell, pit men are positioned centrally and coordinate the sail hoists and drops, controlling halyards, foreguys, and other control lines which adjust the sails and spinnaker pole.

Very much a co-ordinator’s role, the Pitman works in conjuction with the bow man, trimmers and helmsmen to ensure that the hoisting and lowering of sails is done as smoothly as possible. The pitman is an essential communication link between the Tactician and the front of the boat, communicating sail changes to the bow team.

The ideal candidate for this role would be calm and calculated and not easily flustered in the heat of the moment with good tactical awareness and an understanding of the other crew member’s roles.

Mastman

The mast man is the pit man’s and bow man’s assistant. This role is responsible for pulling the halyards at the mast that raise the sails, this is a very physical role demanding good upper body strength, a tall person is ideally suited for this role.

In extreme conditions the mastman is often responsible for controlling the vang, an important responsibility when conditions are on the edge (releasing the vang dumps power in the top of the main sail), and pulling on the 'A's to help the mainsheet trimmer to pull in the mainsail after a leeward mark rounding.