Running in sailing

Sailors’ physical demands have increased dramatically in recent decades due to three critical factors: the introduction of skiffs and hydro-foiling sailing classes, different management of more traditional boats and new regatta formats. Developing an adequate general endurance with running is crucial for sailors to have a sufficient safety margin in unexpected situations and prevent injuries at any level. Since a correlation has been described between the order of arrival in a regatta and the lactatemia, running sessions at 97–100% of the anaerobic threshold, uphill running, interval training and repeated sprints are often introduced into a sailor’s training. In Olympic classes, running training must be planned based on the competitive calendar and adapted to the needs of each specific class. The grinders’ aerobic performance is among the critical success factors in the America’s Cup; specific training combines running with work on particular simulators that are programmed based on appropriate values of FTP and power range. Finally, in ocean sailing, training with running in preparation for the competition must be integrated with the necessary preparatory work on nutrition and sleep-wake cycles.