In this episode, we learn about the "work horses" of the crew: the
grinders. It's like working out on a gigantic exercise machine for 10 hours
a
day.
Physically demanding, the grinders work in pairs, using a variety of winches
to shape the sails in coordination with the trimmers. Sailing upwind, the
loads are huge: about 4 tons on the headsail sheet and 5 to 6 tons on the
mainsheet. During the pre-starts and tacking duels, the grinders work like
demons to keep up with rapidly changing sail settings. "You need to remember
to breathe," says veteran grinder Graig Monk. "If you keep your breathing
rhythm right, you recover quicker."
You can view the entire 22-minute BMW
ORACLE Racing Crew video on Sail.TV.
