Swipe right on your next race.
Crew Connect matches vetted sailors with race boats that need them — then we coordinate the whole event. Wednesday nights, weekend regattas, Bay distance races, offshore. No begging on Facebook. No ghosting. No flaky crew. Just racing.
No app. No account. No login. Apply once — opportunities come straight to you.
Like a dating app. Except everyone shows up.
Crew Connect isn't a message board — it's a curated matchmaking platform with a coordinator behind every connection: Captain Shane Kilberg, USCG 100-Ton Master, personally vetting both sides. We make the match and handle the logistics; the sailing is private, between you and the boat.
1 · Apply once — that's it
No app, no account, no password. One application: sailors share experience, positions, and availability; owners describe their boat and the crew they need. Captain Shane personally vets every member — that's what makes this network different from the free-for-all.
2 · Get matched
Race opportunities post to the members' board every week. See one that fits? Claim it with a credit. We confirm with the owner, build the crew list, and handle every logistic between you and the start line.
3 · Race — fully coordinated
Show up and sail. After the race: organized debrief and video/data review with the group. Then swipe on the next one — weeknights to offshore, all season long.
You want to race more. Boats need you.
Annapolis has hundreds of race boats short on reliable crew — and hundreds of sailors stuck refreshing Facebook groups hoping for a ride. Crew Connect closes that gap: apply once, get vetted, and real racing opportunities come to you every week. Here’s what those opportunities look like ↓
Real opportunities. Posted weekly.
Members see race opportunities like these all season. Reply to claim — we handle everything else.
J/105 · Annapolis
Owner needs 2: one experienced trimmer, one flexible position. Coordination includes crew list, logistics, and post-race debrief & video.
1 Credit · Reply to ClaimJ/22 · Eastport YC
Owner needs 1 bow. Full-day coordination — dock plan, briefing, crew list, debrief with the fleet after.
2 Credits · Reply to ClaimFarr 40 · Down the Bay
Owner needs 3 for an overnight distance classic. Coordination covers crew documentation, safety gear checks, and full race logistics.
3 Credits · Reply to ClaimOne credit. Every logistic handled.
Crew Connect is the matchmaking and coordination platform — not the boat. Your credit pays for everything we do off the water: the match, owner confirmation, crew list, event logistics, briefing details, and the post-race debrief & video. The sailing itself happens on privately owned boats, under their owners' command, and costs you nothing. This is not a charter, and you're never paying for a ride.
Weeknight Race
Wednesday & Friday night series racing. Matched, confirmed, coordinated — debrief after.
Regatta Day
Weekend buoy racing. Full-day coordination: crew list, dock logistics, briefing, debrief & video.
Distance Race
Bay distance classics. Extended coordination — crew documentation, safety gear checks, logistics end to end.
Offshore
Ocean racing. The deepest coordination we do — crew lists, safety requirements, multi-day logistics.
Every credit includes
Vetting & intake · matching service · owner confirmation · crew list & scheduling · event logistics & communications · pre-race briefing details · organized post-race debrief with video/data review. Credits pay for coordination — never for passage aboard any vessel. If an event falls through or a match can’t be made, your credit rolls forward — always.
Reliable, vetted crew. Every race.
You know the feeling: race day, dock time, and two of your crew just texted. Crew Connect ends that. Tell us the event and the positions you need — we source vetted sailors from the network, confirm them, manage the roster, and backfill anyone who drops. You pay per event, only when you need connections. Your boat stays yours: never chartered, never operated by us, always under your command. Here’s what it costs ↓
Weeknight Race
Post your Wednesday or Friday night crew needs. We source, vet, and confirm your sailors — with backfill if anyone drops.
Regatta Day
Full-day crew coordination for weekend buoy racing: sourcing, roster, dock plan, and the post-race debrief organized.
Distance Race
Bay distance classics — crew sourcing, documentation, safety gear coordination, and full event logistics, end to end.
Offshore
Ocean racing programs: multi-day crew coordination, safety requirements, and logistics for the longest events you sail.
How owner pricing works
Owners pay per event posted — no season fee, no membership, no commitment. Your first posted event is your entry into the network. Every event includes crew sourcing from the vetted pool, confirmations, roster management, backfill coverage, and event coordination. Your boat is never chartered. Crew Connect makes the connection and handles the administration; once crew are matched, the sailing relationship is private and direct — your crew, your boat, your command, your insurance. Racing most weeks? The coordination retainer below usually costs less than posting à la carte.
Add a Pro Sailor to your event — $400 evening race · $950 full race day
Want a professional tactician, trimmer, or driver aboard? We source a vetted pro from the network and coordinate them into your event. Pros sail as independent professionals under your command and your insurance; their fee is collected with your event invoice as an administrative convenience and remitted directly to them. Priced in dollars, separately from coordination credits.
Season Coordination Retainer — from $1,600/month
Racing all season? Skip per-event posting: we handle the administration around your campaign — season planning, race entries, ORC certs, boat prep scheduling, and crew sourcing every week. You run your boat; we run the paperwork and the roster. For active programs, the retainer beats à la carte.
Professional crew support aboard
Program clients can add Captain Shane aboard as professional crew and race support — $400–450 for a weeknight, $950 for a full race day. You remain in command of your vessel; Shane brings 30+ years of racing to your program — winner of the Annapolis to Newport Race, College of Charleston offshore race team member, and WASZP foiling sailboat racer. Available exclusively under an Owner Services Agreement.
Add coached clinics to your season
Want structured practice alongside your racing? Crew Connect organizes clinic series — J/105 and J/22 — with instruction delivered by independent professional coaches, including collegiate head coaches. Sessions available à la carte to network members. The racing makes you better; the clinics make you faster.
The fine print, in plain English
What you're paying for
Crew Connect fees are event coordination fees — matching, vetting, scheduling, logistics, communications, and organized debriefs. Fees are never payment for passage aboard any vessel, and matches are never guaranteed.
Who's in charge on the water
All sailing occurs on privately owned vessels under the owner's sole direction, command, and insurance. Boat owners decide who sails on their boat. Crew members are not employees, contractors, or agents of Best Boating Supplies LLC.
The relationship is private
Crew Connect makes the connection — nothing more. Once matched, the sailing relationship is private and directly between crew and owner. No vessel is ever chartered through Crew Connect, and everything that happens on the water is between the connected parties, on the owner’s boat, under the owner’s command and insurance. Credits apply to events coordinated through the Crew Connect program.
Waivers
All participants sign the appropriate Crew Connect participation agreement before their first event. You'll receive yours after applying.
Apply to join
One form, no account needed. Every application is personally reviewed by Captain Shane. Sailors and owners both start here.