Yacht racing

• The most physically demanding position in yacht racing is the grinder who is tasked with manually raising the sails by rapidly turning the winches
• This is done in short powerful bursts placing great physical demands on the shoulders, neck, elbow, forearms and lumbar spine which are commonly injured
• The most frequent type of injuries are ligament sprains and tendinopathies

Injury prevention

• The most common method of injury whilst sailing is tripping and falling and so it is important to keep your eyes open and your wits about you to help minimise the risk of:
• Falls (this could be over a step, a misplaced item, an open hatch or even falling overboard)
• Head injuries
• Bruises
• Fractures
• Hence the adage one hand for yourself and one for the boat:
• This practically means always use one hand to steady yourself on the boat and the other hand to work with
• It reminds sailors to never use two hands to work with especially when using steps or walking on a slippery surface as this puts them at risk of falling
• Improving the ergonomics of the boat or using straps whilst hiking contribute to reducing the risk of injuries
• Research on injury prevention whilst sailing show that incorporating exercises that focus on the following are helpful:
• Strength
• Power
• Cardiovascular fitness
• Core stability
• Weightlifting
• Balance
• Agility
• Improving endurance has shown to greatly reduce injuries especially towards the end of the race when physical and mental tiredness increase the risk in errors of judgement and injuries
• Cardiovascular training and fitness lead to:
• Improved reaction time to changing wind speeds and boat position
• Improved decision making and concentration especially in the latter stages of a race where injuries are more commonly noted
• Reduced physical and mental recovery times following a race
• Aerobic workouts should be varied to maximise the benefits and include:
• Running
• Swimming
• Cycling
• Rowing
• Performing functional movements (e.g. squats) rather than isolation exercises (e.g. knee extensions) aid in maintaining balance between agonists and antagonists which in turn helps minimise the risk of tendinopathies
• Avoiding prolonged positions and taking frequent breaks whilst sailing helps avoid overuse and postural injuries
• Ropes should not be left loose and always safely stored ideally within a case
• Whilst there are numerous injury prevention programmes with great effect, there is limited evidence on how effective they are at preventing sailing injuries
• This is because of the difficulty in carrying out such research when there are so many variables (e.g. different sail boat categories, different crew positions asked to carry out different tasks, wind speeds, wave size and speed)

Improved technique

• Sailors involved in competitions should have regular assessments for:
• Underlying pathologies
• Technique
• Performance
• Provide advice on injury prevention
• The risk of injury can be reduced by improving the technique used to carry out physically demanding activities such as:
• Maintaining neutral foot position whilst hiking
• High amplitude low frequency pumping in windsurfing
• Utilising the lower limbs to provide power whilst grinding
• Monitoring the volume and intensity of training and competitions helps prevent fatigue and better manage recovery
• Hydration and nutrition before and during a competition should be carefully checked as they are important factors to minimise fatigue and dehydration thereby preventing injuries
• Sailing should be avoided if fatigue sets in, as the risk of injuries is markedly raised:
• Physical fatigue results in poor performance, diminished coordination and support across a joint
• Mental fatigue increases the risk of poor judgement and awareness

Strength training

• Part of injury prevention is to analyse and correct an imbalance of muscle strength across a joint:
• Agonists – the muscles that cause movement about a joint
• Antagonists – the muscles on the opposite side of the agonists that help control that movement
• A functional movement requires activation of both the agonists and the antagonists
• Hikers are prone to knee injuries because their quadriceps muscles are constantly contracting leading to a marked imbalance of strength with their relatively weaker hamstrings
• Grinders are prone to shoulder injuries because their front shoulder muscles are considerably stronger compared to their shoulder muscles towards the back
• Emphasis should be placed on strengthening joint stabilisation muscles such as the rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder, the core, as well as exercises to help improve balance around the knee and ankle
• Depending on the type of sailing being carried out, certain muscle groups which are prone to injury should be strengthened for peak power as well as endurance
• Strengthening specific muscle groups should be tailored to the physical sailing demands of the sailor:
• Forearm strengthening is helpful for grinders and windsurfers
• Posterior shoulder muscles for big boat sailors
• Medial quadriceps and hamstrings for hiking sailors
• Lower limb strengthening should not be ignored especially for windsurfers and grinders as power from there helps increase force generation for activities like pumping, grinding and steering
• All sailors should strengthen their lower back, and improve their core stability

Protective Clothing

• Sailors due to their exposure to UV light are at risk of skin cancer, cataracts, and macular degeneration so measures should be taken to protect against UV light such as waterproof sunscreen protection, protective clothing, hats, and sunglasses
• Protective head gear can reduce the incidence of head injuries in slalom windsurfers
• Non-slip shoe wear should be worn by all windsurfers and wetsuits to protect from being stung by jellyfish
• Lumbar supports can be worn by windsurfers to help protect from lower back injuries
• Hand injuries are among the most common severely injured parts of the body
• Wearing high-performance enduring sailing gloves helps:
• Protect against friction burns and lacerations
• Keeping hands warm
• Life jackets should be worn at all times whilst sailing:
• Unfortunately, they are an essential item that is often overlooked
• Death by drowning accounts for three quarters of all deaths by recreational sailors
• ~80% of the sailors who drown were not wearing a life jacket

Improving the ergonomics

• Improving safety as well as equipment that simplify the activities whilst sailing are key factors in reducing injuries
• Windsurfers would benefit from a smoother and faster foot strap release so as to minimise foot and ankle injuries
• Increasing the friction of the steering wheel in large boat racing
• Improving the height of the pedestal, handle position, width and grip shape can all help reduce back, shoulder and forearm injuries in grinders
• Better antiskid deck surface helps reduce risk of sliding and falling

Summary

• The risk of acute and chronic injuries can be greatly reduced by taking the necessary precautions such as improving levels of fitness, strength and endurance, incorporating proper technique, wearing sunscreen, life jackets, gloves and shoes