Me (standing, white visor) and fellow teammates aboard Stars & Stripes '87. ŠIsland Adventure Photos N.V.

By Jodie Gould

Sailing, like many thrill sports, involves competition and doing battle with the elements, in this case, fickle wind and waves. And as a city girl whose seafaring experience consisted mostly of ferry rides, I was an unlikely candidate for the America's Cup Challenge, a 12-metre yacht race off the Caribbean coast of St. Maarten.

But that's exactly what I did one steamy day in April, when I signed onto Star's and Stripes '87, the boat that won the America's Cup that year for the United States. Despite the vessel's pedigree, I was not the only novice onboard. Twelve other would-be sailors joined me as teammates in a race against other America's Cup veterans Truth North (Canada) and Canada II.

Before setting sail, we were briefed by a ruddy-faced South African named Dion, who warned us about the blistering Caribbean sun (sunscreen and water were highly recommended), and assigned us our duties. Spectators simply going along for the ride were designated beer babe (self-explanatory), or timekeeper, who counts down the minutes before the race begins.

Those who wished to be active could be a trimmer (a winch wench, if you're female), who release and coil up the sail line, or a main grinder, responsible for moving the main sail to change the boat's direction (tacking). I was one of four primary grinders; our job was to spin the crank handles either forward or backward so the primary sail is positioned to catch the most wind.

As we neared the starter flag, I anxiously awaited instructions from our first mate Nigel, a young, ex-patriot Brit who crews six days a week. "Beware of the track behind you," Nigel cautioned of the noisy metal apparatus that shifted with each keel. "It'll pinch your butt faster than an Italian on a Roman holiday."

The ever-jocular crew helped ease the tension of the race, which made the passengers fall eerily silent. "Standby primaries," Nigel shouted above the slapping of the sails. "First gear, go!" We began turning the gears as fast as our arms could spin, but, unfortunately, it was in the wrong direction. "Other way, primaries," Nigel coached patiently.

Thus began the five-leg regatta that sliced across the clear aqua waters of Great Bay. The boats jockeyed for position as we headed toward our first marker. Stars & Stripes immediately fell behind, requiring the crew to chart a new strategy. We would tack away from the other boats in order to catch our own, faster wind. We watched as Canada II and True North tried to cut each other off, narrowly avoiding a collision.

While we were never able to catch up (our boat came in last), the race was more about fun and good sportsmanship than winning. "Let's give three cheers to the victor True North," said Steve, our Australian skipper. "Hip-hip-hooray!" our team hailed.

And though winners did not receive a prize, all finishers were given a cup of rum punch and, for a price, a team shirt, cap and photo commemorating the voyage.

For more information on the America's Cup 12-Metre Challenge, e-mail metres12@hotmail.com

You can e-mail Jodie Gould at jegould@aol.com

Jodie Gould is a New York-based freelance writer and author.