How to prepare to go sailing

It is not so much that this sport requires special physical preparation (except, perhaps, some specific disciplines in its professional modality) but it is evident that it is a physical sport; Therefore, the better our condition, the more and better we can get the best out of it. maximum match.

On the other hand, it has a lot of strategy (interpretation of the weather forecast, relative position of the boat with respect to its rivals, etc.), which is why mental preparation is also very important, both to optimize own resources and to face frequent unforeseen events.

Physical (and mental) exercise

No absolute limitation exists in this sport. Whatever our condition, there is a ship and a position on board for us. But there is some relative limitation: it would be inappropriate, obviously, if we chose a position for which we were not prepared. Experience will very quickly put us in our place.

But, apart from peculiarities, the objective physical condition of a crew member should be a general physical conditioning. We could consider, in a little more detail:

• Mobility exercises that would allow us to move with agility and ease on board, especially when the wind and sea conditions get complicated.
• Self-loading exercises: all that gymnastics performed with your own weight will be very useful on board; after all, the ship is a great gym for these routines because the good sailor knows how to move by chaining supports with all four limbs.
• Proprioception exercises: fundamental for being strongly involved in balance, obviously a great quality to count on.
• Elastic exercises: will help us to carry out complex movements during the maneuvers, or those in which, while leaning, I will have to apply my strength when pulling ("hunting") or releasing ("bending") a line (it is said that in In a ship there is no more rope than that of the clock! And now, not even this…).
• Stretching exercises, as these are an essential complement in any sports activity carried out correctly. Apart from preventing injuries, they specially prepare us to use those muscles again in the regatta or crossing the next day.

Hydration

What does hydration have to do with physical preparation? Everything!

• The relationship between dehydration and musculoskeletal injuries is direct. Furthermore, the relationship between correct hydration and recovery from such injuries is also direct.
• Likewise, there is a cause-and-effect link between dehydration and the appearance of the aforementioned "Mal de Mar".
• The human body triggers the stimulus of thirst when it detects 2% dehydration. How important is our body to give to this aspect when it does not wait more than that 2% to claim compensation? The reason is simple: a 2% dehydration leads to a 10% musculoskeletal deficit !; but it is that it also entails a neural deficit of 10%! Imagine, therefore, how important it is to take care of this aspect, not only when you are a professional athlete but also when you are just another hobbyist.
• Finally, we must not forget that each and every one of the other organs and tissues of our body fundamentally require water and electrolytes, so it should not be necessary to insist.

In any case, once we know that water is essential, it would perhaps be advisable to write down a couple of details about how much water we should drink and how.

How much water and how to drink it?

Difficult question to answer because the individual variability in this regard is total. It is not the same to consider one person or another, one gender or another, one age or another, one time of year or another, etc. However, we could simplify the answer a lot: that amount that allows us to observe a light-colored urine. If we comply with this premise, we will not be making too much mistakes.

How to drink it?

This is actually the key question. Because one thing is the water we drink and another, quite different, the water we assimilate. Hence, we see how professional athletes (in those sports in which physical condition is key to their athletic performance) usually appear with their inseparable bottles or jerry cans.

In this aspect, the availability of water also comes into play: sports such as tennis are lucky enough to stop every other game and provide a great opportunity for rehydration. Ours, on the other hand, does not make it so easy for us, for two reasons: because it does not stop and, more importantly, because we will not find a good time to urinate later. In any case, these are aspects that I understand perfectly but our organism, on the other hand, does not!

In conclusion, hydration is a fundamental resource. And dehydration is a great advantage that we will be giving our rival.

Nutrition

This aspect is also important but I would like to clarify that it should always be behind the previous point. However, it is a constant that we make this mistake over and over again.

• Apart from the fact that we should eat well every day, due to the need to limit when writing these notes, we could say that the trip / regatta should start, at least, during dinner the day before. Both considering physical and mental performance, and remembering the direct relationship of inappropriate food with the possible appearance of "Mal de Mar", the truth is that the previous dinner has to be taken care of.
• An energetic breakfast that prepares us for whatever comes our way is as important as getting the sail to hoist right. It is already a very good idea to take advantage of that time spent having a good breakfast to consider the strategy of the regatta or review the weather forecast.
• On board, however, and always depending on the type of navigation that we are considering, obviously, we will be able to eat little and in a short time; therefore, we will need foods that are easily digested and assimilated; fruits are an excellent source of energy, vitamins and water; and nuts will give us a lot of energy and iron (unfortunately, the "sandwich" does not have much room).
• Once the journey is finished, the recovery of essential nutrients will be of utmost importance, so an early and quality dinner, combining proteins and carbohydrates, will make a difference.

Special mention should be made here of the extreme, of boats in which weight is an aspect to take into account; in this way, the food is always freeze-dried (it has to be mixed with hot water to rehydrate it) and of extremely high energy power, in an attempt to save weight and volume, while ensuring the fuel needed for 9 powerful and hungry crew members who have of living (and sleeping) in extremely harsh conditions and subjected to tremendous wear and tear. To this must be added that the water used comes from a water treatment plant….

Perhaps now we understand a little more my comment in the previous chapter: «The cruising sail, with its omelette and its wine boot, is the one envied by the sailor !!

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