The first issue of Sailing World for 2025 includes an article I originally titled “Reading the Room.” Mike Toppa has been sailing with clients (and on his own) for more than five decades; when I interviewed him for Seahorse, he claimed he’s only ever had one job.
After finally getting the chance to share a cockpit with him onboard Hound last summer, I wanted to interview him all over again. This time, I wanted to puzzle out how he manages to improve teams, even when he’s stepping onboard for the first time—and even if it’s just for a casual weekend regatta. Hence the editor’s preferred title, which is probably much more informative: “The Art of the Crew Boss.”
Sailing World has given me permission to share the PDF with all of you, but to see what else they’ve packed into the spring issue you’ll have to subscribe. That will obviously help keep a great magazine going, which will give me an excuse to keep interviewing sailors I admire. But it will also give you insights from their other experts, too—even those who aren’t talking about “reading the room.”
Got a sailing expert you want to learn more about? Leave their name(s) in the comments below, or send me an email. I appreciate any and all suggestions. And thanks for reading! So glad you’re here.
Read The Art of the Crew Boss (Sailing World)
Read Toppa Talks: One Job, One (Big) Dream (Seahorse)
One of the nicest and most talented sailmaker/pro sailors. Great article