Hi Mary

just joking as most always ,-people take things way too seriously on web sites ,

-Sailed the 2000 Worrell with an excellent female co-skipper ,-she broke her leg the following year with a different skipper along with another racer the same leg ,-leg of the race that is ,--,-different leg and place broken . --confusing but, Tom is an experienced professional excellent sailor which shows it can happen to anyone of any gender size strength .

Agree with both other posts ,some you would not want to attempt this type of race with due to inexperience and conditioning, you need some distance racing miles logged , and the experience that goes with it and good physical conditioning to attempt this type of racing ,--
[being a little crazy helps too }
Any potential crew mate needs to be able to rely on the other , some days you may be dehydrated ,-exhausted ,-you may have flipped numerous times swallowed sea water . You may have bruises cuts that easily get infected being on the ocean for 12 hour days sometimes -nights . So you have to take really good care of yourself each day and make sure your crewmate does the same and you watch out for each other realizing the accumulation of these aspects of this race take their toll.

If a smaller crew needs to get a larger one back aboard just as with big boats mechanical advantage is there to use .
On big boats a winch is sometimes used to retrieve a man overboard clipping a snap shackle on to their harness or life jacket rings then winching them up the high sides of a typical monohull. We are much lower in the water ,-particularly this year on the Jav , Any could easily use mainsheet blocks with a snap shackle with an 8 to one power purchase to pull any back up on a hull.
I generally go out ,practise the day before the race ,and go through the worst case scenarios , learn to hit a GPS cordinate if needed , and flip and right the boat .You spend two days tuning checking and testing gear before also .
I,m not good at every aspect and do really rely on the other with me ,-Many other more dedicated skippers are better at different aspects.

I,ll always remember David and I in 01 the first leg, We had never sailed together and did not get any time to go out the day before the race begane that year. -Of course it was blowing 20 to 25 on the nose that day .
To make a long story short , Dave was great on the boat ,we just dodged the P Yacht Gals at the start who were out of controll and we popped out near the front of the pack . One by one boats around us flipped or fell way back and we found ourselves leading much of that first day being nipped out at the line by 12 seconds by Brian and Jamie ,---reached a little too much and got closer to shore . --What a great day of racing for Dave and I , I'll always remember it ,and have a great areal photo of us leading that day as the screen saver , so see it each day . So many fantasic people and adventures over the years .

If I could wish a Holiday gift for each catsailor ,-whether a beginer or one of the very best in the sport , at any level . It would be to find the wondefull people ,great joy and adventure in sailing this sport can bring .

Happy Holidays
Carl