I sail 30 to 40 days a year, but I don't own a boat. Instead, I help other people sail their boats.

I race because being on the water is delightful, the competition is stimulating, and I've made many friends. People involved in sailing and racing are generally nice, and they are happy to share their passion.

TOM RUSSELLA JBoat practices a spinnaker run after a race during Cleveland Race Week at Edgewater Yacht Club, June 2007.

In almost any waterfront city, you have a good chance of finding a boat to sail on. It won't cost you much more than your time and a little physical activity. If you have the urge, here's how to find a ride that leaves the dock a couple times each week.

HOW I GOT INVOLVED

I was six when I first started sailing. My family would put an 11-foot dinghy on a trailer and head from Ohio to the Maryland shore. It was my job to make sure no oars bounced onto the freeway, which I did while kneeling backward on the car seat. By the time I was in junior high, I spent weeks during the summer sailing back and forth in front of a stretch of western Lake Erie beach. The feel of the wind and water against the boat was mesmerizing. My sailing was mostly self-taught, informal and a lot of fun.

In college, I was dockmaster of a Cleveland marina, and I spent my time tying up boats and making repairs. One October day, a mechanic working on a boat mentioned racing. I asked if he needed crew, and he told me to meet him on the dock that weekend.

STAN MEHAFFEYThe author sets the spinnaker pole. The pole supports the spinnaker, the large colorful sail used while sailing downwind.

Now, I had lots of small-boat time, but only a little experience on big sailboats, and I had never raced. Despite this, I spent that October day on a boat called Outlet Express, observing a well-rehearsed team. As a result of the crew knowing what they were doing and the boat being fast, we took first place. Afterward, the entire club sipped hot buttered rum on the dock to celebrate. I didn't race again for a few years, but the memory of slicing across the water and the easy camaraderie on the docks remained clear.

It was winter a few years later when I told friends of my interest in racing. One of them e-mailed me with information about a boat looking for crew. I called the owner, and in May I was on board Bad Influence for a practice sail. By June I was racing three times a week at Edgewater Yacht Club, a few miles west of the downtown Cleveland skyline.

Bad Influence is a Tartan Ten, a design nicknamed the T-10. The boat is 10 meters long – hence the name – or about 33 feet. Dating to 1978, more than 380 T-10s have been built, according to Tartan Ten Class fleet secretary Stan Mehaffey, with 98 in the national class membership. Forty-six are in Chicago, with others in fleets throughout the Great Lakes and other parts of the country. While many don't race, the ones that do often race in their own one-design fleets, meaning that all the boats participating are Tartan Tens. A benefit of one-design racing is that time handicaps aren't needed, since the boats are nearly identical. The races have their own start (classes technically have their own starts within one race), and the winner is the boat that crosses the finish line first.

STAN MEHAFFEYEven novices can learn to hoist the spinnaker as well as other duties.

After I joined the Bad Influence crew, I realized that finding a boat to race the second time was just as simple as finding the first: I only had to ask around. Over time I learned my share of sailing skills, but I also learned that many boats look for a good attitude over experience. A T-10 in Chicago named Rover, for example, embraces the same spirit that many club racing boats do regarding crew. "Enthusiasm, willingness to learn and dependability are valued above sailing expertise," a statement on its Web site reads. Rover's crew also believes that being competitive is key, but safety and enjoyment are priorities.

FINDING A RACE BOAT

So who races? People from all backgrounds are on the water any given race day. It doesn't matter when you were born or what you do from 9 to 5 if you can be on the dock at 5:30. This season, for example, I have sailed with engineers, machinists, law students, retirees, nurses, IT analysts and firemen. The common ground is that everyone enjoys being on the water. A race takes concentration, and it clears the mind of other day-to-day clutter. When the boat leaves the dock, conversation is about strategy, wind and boat handling. Thoughts of the workplace are left on shore.

If you don't know someone who can introduce you to sailors, then search the Web using your city name and "yacht club" as search terms. Skim the resulting club Web sites for racing or sailing sections. Corinthian Chicago Yacht Club's Web site, for instance, has a Crew Development section where owners post the experience level sought and their contact information. Other clubs set up crew boards so that people looking to get on board a boat can post their names. I have personally used one with success. When Bad Influence couldn't make the trip to Chicago to race in the T-10 North American Championship, I looked up the fleet Web site and added my name to the crew board. I received an email within 12 hours, from Nick Camino, who races Billy Bones at the Chicago Yacht Club. Camino normally uses a network of friends to keep his boat crewed, but when some team members dropped out, he scanned the online list and saw my name. We spoke, I drove to Chicago, and I spent four days on Lake Michigan racing with a fun group and lots of wind.

DAVE MATHIASSkipper Kelly Kimble (red jacket with yellow square) at the helm during a race. Boat owner and coach Nick Lubar (to her left) gives tips, but can't touch the helm or other controls.

Whether you reply to an owner's post or add your name to a crew board, sometimes the competition you face from other would-be racers can be tough. Liz Wolfe, who lives in Manhasset, New York, posted her name on the Manhasset Bay Yacht Club's Join a Crew page. Even though she landed a position on Second Wind, a 32-foot C&C, and races every Thursday night, she found herself vying for spots with midshipmen, since the Merchant Marine Academy is not far away. Still, the important thing to remember is that Wolfe found a boat after listing herself as a novice.

It's also worthwhile to look for the racing chairman's name on a club's Web site and arrange a visit. He or she will probably meet you on the docks on race day and have a boat or two in mind for you to try. Some clubs, like Mentor Harbor Yachting Club, located about 20 miles east of Cleveland, list the Race Program Chairman under the Sailing Program section, along with his e-mail. If you don't see the chairman's contact information, call the club office.

If you're a woman, some clubs offer women's racing. North Coast Women's Sailing Association in Cleveland encourages its members to "Sail Like a Girl," a tagline challenging its members to excel as only a woman can. Sailing occurs in summer months, with seminars and guest speakers during the winter. The 180-member-strong group allows male coaches on board who can talk but cannot touch the gear. "It's all about promoting women to be more competitive," says race chair Kelly Kimble, who skippers a 22-foot Ensign named MBSS Medalla.

STAN MEHAFFEYJoin a race comittee to learn about wind readings, watching for boats crossing the line early and marking finish times.

Not all sailing happens on the Great Lakes and the coasts. Five hundred miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico, serious competition occurs at Oklahoma City Boat Club. With no salt water in sight, 2,500-acre Lake Hefner still sees top-level events, including the 2008 U.S. Women's Sailing Championship in September.

The welcome mat is also out for new sailors in Southern California. Lee Rhodes, the race chairman for Santa Monica Windjammers Yacht Club, suggests that newcomers also volunteer for Race Committee. The Race Committee works on a powerboat that motors out to the course and drops anchor, marking one end of the start line. Those on board are kept busy with a list of tasks, including taking wind readings, selecting and announcing the course, checking in boats for the race, prepping fleet starts, watching for boats crossing the line early and marking finish times.

Whichever boat you join, you'll learn on the job as you go, and you will likely try various positions to see what fits your preference and the boat's need. After a season or so on the water, you may find you have a preference for a certain type of sailing. "Once you start to sail, you become part of a community," says Trever Dodge, who races aboard Coyote in Cleveland. "There are many opportunities to sail club races, day sails or long distance races. The variety allows you to find the pace and shipmates that best match your interests."

DAVE MATHIASLimit Up, an Ensign skippered by Sherrie Desmond, sails in heavy wind and steep Lake Erie waves.

COST AND COMMITMENT

If you crew, you won't be paid unless you're a highly skilled professional, but you won't have to pay, either. Crewmembers give their time each week to help rig and race the boat in trade for a ride on the water. The boat owner needs more than one person to race, after all, with many boats needing eight or more people to do well in competition. It's a fair trade, and everyone has a fun time.

Owners generally pay for expenses directly related to the boat such as dockage, fuel, sails, lines and other equipment. The crew is responsible for anything they need for themselves. Crew necessities include non-marking non-slip shoes, which generally cost $20 to $75, and sailing gloves, which cost $20 to $35. The right shoes are important to prevent slipping on wet decks, and gloves are needed to prevent rope burns when handling lines. If you like, seek advice from others on board before heading to the store. As for other expenses, it's common for crew to split the cost of boat snacks. Dress is almost always casual, and shipmates tend to be cordial.

LUCILLE O'NEILLLightning, a Shock 40, shows how exciting and action-packed racing can be.

The time commitment can vary, depending on your availability and the ship's program. I've found that many boats race at least once a week, with some racing as much as four times a week. Boats also race one weeknight and one or two half weekend days. A committed crewmember will sail at least once a week, more for those who want to learn the sport faster. Races often last as long as four hours, from stepping on the boat to arriving back at the dock.

Club races are localized events, and boats usually sail in sight of where they dock, typically within one to five miles. Events are held on racecourses indicated by race marks or small buoys anchored offshore by the club. Each race chooses a course depending on wind direction and speed. Longer courses are selected on windy days, when boats will sail faster. Shorter courses are used when conditions are calm.

It's reasonably easy to find a boat to sail on, and the friendships you make can last a lifetime. I remember why I race each Sunday morning as the boat heads away from the dock. When the wind is steady and waves spray across the deck, no one on board cares about the freeway traffic, only the race marks that are hidden on the horizon.

If you want to sail, racing is a great option. Search the Internet now, and you just may be on the water by spring.