The Third Crew Member in an A-Rater: The Mid Hand Who Makes It All Work

When people talk about an A-Rater, they usually focus on the helm’s finesse or the jib hand’s lightning-fast reactions. But there’s a third crew member the mid hand, often quieter, sometimes overlooked, and absolutely vital to the boat’s performance.

They are the human ballast and the master of maintaining the mainsail shape— the living, breathing counterweight that keeps several square metres of sail power pointing forwards rather than sideways.

And in an A-Rater, that job is not optional.

Why an A-Rater Needs a Third Crew Member

A-Raters are:

Long
Light
Extremely powerful for their weight

They were designed for the Thames, where light winds, gusts from trees, and shifty conditions are the norm. The rig is generous, the hull is narrow, and the margins between “flying” and “falling over” are… slim.

That’s where the mid hand comes in.

Without effective ballast:

The boat heels too far
The foils lose efficiency
The helm fights weather helm
Speed vanishes
Control becomes guesswork

The third crew member is what turns raw sail power into controlled forward motion.

Tensioning the Runners

Keeping the Mast Straight Through Tacks and Gybes

On a Thames A-Rater, the mast doesn’t just stand there. It’s alive. It bends, twists, and reacts instantly to changes in load. And one of the most important jobs in the boat—often happening quietly and very quickly—is tensioning the runners to keep that mast straight and the sails working as designed.

Get it right, and the boat accelerates smoothly out of a tack or gybe.
Get it wrong, and the sail shape collapses, power leaks away, and the helm starts fighting the boat.

Why Runners Matter So Much on an A-Rater

A-Raters carry:

Tall, lightly supported masts
Powerful mainsails
Large overlapping jibs

Unlike boats with swept-back shrouds doing most of the work, an A-Rater relies heavily on running backstays (runners) to control mast bend and forestay tension.

Without the correct runner tension:

The mast bends off to leeward
Forestay tension drops
The jib becomes baggy
The mainsail loses its designed shape

In short: speed disappears.

The Goal: A Straight Mast at the Right Moment

The key phrase here is “at the right moment.”

You don’t want maximum tension all the time. You want:

Enough tension to support the mast
Enough flexibility to allow sail power
Smooth transitions during manoeuvres

The runner system is about control, not brute force.

Runners During a Tack: A Coordinated Dance

A tack is the moment when runner work really earns its keep.

Typical sequence:

Old windward runner stays on as the boat turns
Mast remains supported while the jib unloads
As the bow comes through the wind, the new runner is prepared
Once the sail fills on the new tack, the new windward runner is tensioned
The old runner is then eased cleanly

Too early:

Mast over-bends
Power vanishes mid-tack

Too late:

Mast sags to leeward
Forestay goes soft
Jib shape turns into a laundry bag

Timing matters more than strength.

Runners During a Gybe: Controlled, Not Casual

Gybes can look gentler—but the loads can be savage.

Downwind:

Apparent wind is lower
But boom movement is large
Shock loads are real

During a gybe:

The active runner must be eased progressively
The new runner should be taken up early
Mast support must be continuous as the boom crosses

A sloppy runner change can:

Let the mast flick sideways
Distort sail shape instantly
Shock-load fittings and rigging

Good crews make it look boring. That’s the sign it’s being done properly.

Sail Shape Is the Payoff

Why all this effort?

Because correct runner tension:

Keeps the forestay firm → jib sets flatter and points higher
Controls mast bend → mainsail depth stays where the sailmaker intended
Maintains balance → lighter helm, less drag
Preserves momentum → especially vital on rivers

On the Thames, where acceleration out of manoeuvres matters more than raw top speed, this is huge.

Who’s Responsible?

Runner control usually sits with:

Or the mid hand acting as ballast and rig controller

It’s a role that demands:

Anticipation
Feel
Communication with the helm

Often, the best runner work happens without a word being spoken.

Positioning: Inches Matter

The ballast crew normally sits low and central, but never passively.

Their position constantly changes:

Upwind: slightly to windward, maximising righting moment
Reaching: adjusting fore-and-aft trim to keep the hull free
Downwind: often moving forward to stop the stern dragging

In an A-Rater, moving your backside six inches can change:

Helm balance
Rudder drag
Whether the boat accelerates… or sulks

This isn’t dead weight. It’s dynamic trim control.

Stability Is Speed

Flat boats are fast boats — especially on a river.

By keeping the boat level, the ballast crew:

Keeps the centreboard working efficiently
Reduces leeway
Allows the helm to steer delicately instead of defensively
Lets the jib hand keep the sail drawing instead of depowering

In gusty Thames conditions, the ballast crew often reacts before the helm speaks:

Gust hits → move out
Lull arrives → ease back in

That anticipation is gold dust.

Communication Without Words

In a well-sailed A-Rater:

The helm feels trim changes
The jib hand sees the sail response
The mid hand moves instinctively and tensions the sails

There doesn’t need to be constant shouting. A subtle shift of weight can be:

A signal that pressure is building
A cue that a tack is imminent
A warning that the boat is about to load up

It’s sailing as choreography, not committee meeting.

Physical, Yes — But Also Strategic

Yes, the role can be tiring. Hiking for long beats on the Thames is no joke.

But the ballast crew also:

Watches wind lines on the water
Spots gusts rolling down from the banks
Feels changes in heel before instruments (or humans) notice
Acts as an early-warning system

In many ways, they are the boat’s balance sensor.

The Unsung Hero of the Crew

The helm gets the glory.
The jib hand gets the praise.

The mid hand gets… sore legs and quiet satisfaction knowing that they got the boat through every tack and gybe.

But without them:

The boat won’t point
The boat won’t accelerate
The boat won’t forgive mistakes

In an A-Rater, the third crew member doesn’t just sit there.

They make the boat sailable.

pmr sailing

Friday, 30 January 2026