By Doug
Someone once told me that Lasers were never designed for people over 35, but he was clearly wrong. So, how long can we competitively sail a Laser if we stay fit and avoid injuries? And what what kind of exercises would be needed? And who would know ...
By Peter Seidenberg
I am 78 now, going on 79 in
November, and I still sail the Laser competitively and with some success,
albeit preferring the smaller Radial rig because it is more suitable to my weight
of 160 pounds. The Radial is also becoming more and more popular with ever increasing
fleet sizes for meaningful competition at regattas. Admittedly, the Radial is a
bit easier to handle, already on shore with stepping the mast and, of course,
on the water with having more control over the boat on windy downwind legs.
Upwind, however, the Radial still requires full-out hiking, just like the
Standard, only that ones efforts result in less healing, and therefore in
better upwind speed and more sailing enjoyment.
Of course, to sail the Laser
competitively requires fitness, and the higher the fitness level – the better
the sailing results. This simple formula is my incentive to work on my fitness.
As we all know, without an incentive, good fitness intentions generally
evaporate.
Since the fitness requirement for
our sport is multifaceted, I gear my work on my fitness accordingly, doing
various exercises generally for one hour every morning in my basement gym. I
rotate some of the exercises to allow my muscles and joints to recover. My
versatile workout station helps me to do a variety of exercises. They consist
of:
- 5-minute
stationary bike rides for warm-up,
- 15-minute
yoga stretches for flexibility,
- sit-ups
on my hiking bench for core strength,
- bench
presses for shoulder strength,
- reverse
sit-ups for lower back strength,
- lateral
pull-downs for shoulder strength,
- leg-raises
for knee and quadriceps muscle strength,
- butterfly
pulls for shoulder strength,
- wall-sits
for knee and hip strength, and
- arm
curls for bicep strength.
Aside from my morning exercises,
I attend a yoga class once a week throughout the year and ride my mountain bike
in the summer twice or three times a week. While doing all these exercises,
however, I am mindful of the saying that everything should be done in moderation.
I pace myself to avoid injury and set-backs as a result.
Whenever possible, however, I
sail my Laser, since I believe in the saying that nothing beats time in the
boat. On weekends in the summer I go to as many regattas as I can, and there
are plenty of them along the New England east coast. I also take part in
Tuesday nights practice sailing in the Newport area whenever it is on the
agenda.
I am really lucky and happy that
my sport and passion gives me the incentive to work on my fitness, and I intend
to continue for as long as I can.
Update: Peter's training worked again - he won the 2016 Master Worlds in the Legends category (75+).
Update: Peter's training worked again - he won the 2016 Master Worlds in the Legends category (75+).
