Fitness

 It was the third race of the Laser’s New England Masters in Newport, RI. I had been aiming toward this regatta for the second half of the summer and now I was quite literally hanging on by my toenails, and that was with my radial rig set board flat and eased. The committee boat said that gusts to 30 were overlaid on top of steady wind of 24 plus. I was keeping the boat upright by easing the sheet and hiking off my toenails, or so it felt, but my energy was evaporating.

Does an older Laser sailor really have to let go of dreams that require physical prowess?

Someone once said the way you knew you were an adult was when you had to give up certain dreams as unrealistic. Now, many people give up dreams before it may be necessary, but there is no doubt the athletes have to face the reality of age related limitations. How does this affect Laser sailors?

At a regatta a few years ago I watched one of the top Laser skippers amble off to a patch of grass still damp from the morning dew. For the next five minutes he worked his way through a routine of stretches that focused on each major flexible joint in his body. Bit by bit he reached, twisted, bent and folded; then he ambled over and launched his boat and won the regatta.

 Sailing has a popular reputation as a sedentary sport. We Laser sailors do all we can to disabuse people of that notion, but most of us do too little to prepare ourselves for the aerobic aspects of the sport.

So, what is so aerobic about Laser sailing? Swimming, the shock of cold water, anxiety about where you’re falling and what is wrapped around your ankle and repeated maneuvers, like roll tacking can all get you breathing hard.

I've designed an exercise tracking sheet to help motivate me to get to my aerobic and resistance sessions done each week. I find I get a little boost in by having a blank column expectantly waiting for me to fill it in.

I have a home gym, a big, wonderful room in my basement with a treadmill, elliptical machine, rower, spin bike, trainer for my road bike, ski machine, complex weight machine, roman chair, leg-lift machine, stretching mats, five-foot mirrors and clocks.

I’d rather be sailing! Actually I’d rather be sailing my Laser or riding my road bike.

A Laser can be sailed with minimal conditioning and low-grade muscle power, but if you plan on racing, and you want to be competitive, you need to consider investing time in getting more fit. Lasers are raced at all levels of intensity from beginners to quite advanced, but one significant difference separating members in each ability level is their fitness.

Oceans and lakes, each have their idiosyncrasies. I appreciate the steady breezes that so often grace the afternoons on salt water, but the lumpy water is a pain in the butt. I just got off the water after four hours of racing off Marblehead under the sponsorship of Eastern Yacht Club with a group of 11 sailors.

The lake was empty as I glided out with the sail gently flicking around as the wind came whispering by me from many points. It climbed over the trees around the mooring area behind me and then switched and swirled in from across the lake; I took in a couple of arm lengths of mainsheet and the flag down by the beach sent a small puff racing along the shore and my close-hauled sail stalled and heeled the boat a bit. Once I got out past the small point to my right a steadier breeze filled in from up the lake and I began my warm up.

To get to my workout I need to work my way upwind through a sea of distractions. I like the metaphor, but like my resolve it starts to fall apart about there.

Gym-type exercise isn’t strictly necessary to sailing a Laser; sailing a Laser will get you in shape to sail a Laser. There are a couple of problems with the “sail-yourself-into-shape” approach though. It takes time to work any particular muscle group into shape, particularly after you get past 35 or 40; physiologists speak about eight weeks to make substantial improvements in strength.