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.

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.

Which rig is right for you? If you’re thinking of Olympic glory in the Laser you’d best be around six foot tall or better and 180 lbs or so for the standard rig, and 150 lbs seems to be about right for the Radial rig. For the rest of us, the need to match our physical attributes to the boat is probably secondary to developing great boat handling and solid strategy and tactics.

Research shows that when you walk in the dark or in an environment that is void of distinctive features you will walk in a circle. People blindfolded, in a gym, walk in a circle. People lost in the desert, walk in a circle. In order to make real forward progress we need to have a point of reference far enough out ahead that we track straight and we need a push to move our butt.

We have a number of Master’s-age-bracket Laser sailors in the club and it’s instructive to watch how they approach improving. I’m thinking particularly of the split between those that seem to be willing to tolerantly put in the time learning and those that complain.

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.