This excursion gives you a chance to crew a real racing yacht, one of the actual ones previously used in the famous Americas’ Cup Race. We were lucky enough to be on the Stars and Stripes.
There will probably be a group of 40 to 50-some people signed up for this excursion and there are four yachts. Each yacht will have a professional Captain and first mate (might have been two mates) The rest of the crew will be you and your fellow excursion passengers. The Captains will talk to the group of people a bit to get to know you and probably hope to find a bit of sailing experience amongst you. But you need absolutely no sailing experience whatsoever.
They will divide the group up into four crews and then ferry you out to the yachts. Each person will be given one job on the yacht, usually according to just how active you want to be. Some jobs are very physical and other's are not at all. (Here's a hint: leave the job of grinder to the hale and hearty young men. Boy was I sore the next day.) They will teach you how to do your job. Then all you have to do is DO IT when you're given your cue.
You'll sail the yacht for a bit, practicing different maneuvers. Then comes the race. It's fast, and fun, and exciting; and it's amazing how seriously you will want to will that race and how hard you will try to do it. And we did. (Yea for the Stars and Stripes!) When the race was over it takes a bit of time for them to come and ferry everyone back to shore so, while we waited, several us were able to take the time to swim a little off the side of the boat.
When they take you back to shore they will drop you off at their shop where they have lots of souvenirs with each of the four ships' flag signs on them. And you'll also have an opportunity to buy a photograph of you and your crew in action. (They have a cameraman in a little speedboat chasing around after the yachts to get the pictures.) If you do this excursion, don't pass up this picture. We didn't buy it and have always regretted that decision.
