The physical determinants of a successful Finn sailor
T
he Finn is the heavyweight sailing class. For some this simply represents the fact that heavier people sail the Finn. In reality the term heavyweight does not tell the full picture. The Finn has been an Olympic class for decades and the evolution of the class and its sailors is quite interesting to follow. As the Finn is a development class it allows for an evolution of equipment. Keeping up with modern technologies has allowed the class to advance in many areas. The class has evolved and with the result a modern Finn dinghy would perform at a very different level to its original form. This progression demands a similar development of the sailor. Finn sailors now have different physiological characteristics than their previous counterparts. The Finn has always had a reputation as a physical class but physicality can also be argued for the other classes. The question is what sets the Finn apart from the others. The defining features are the mechanical advantages involved. While the Finn demands high levels of force output to be in control, so too does the 49er. The difference is that a trapeze
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FINNFARE NOVEMBER 2016
By Ross Hamilton gives the sailor a mechanical advantage whereas hiking is a comparably poor mechanical lever. Modern technology has allowed us to make stiffer masts and fuller sails. This yet again increases the righting moment required to sail the boat upwind. To compensate for this the sailor must be physically suited for the task. He must be taller and heavier.
The challenge presented by the Finn deservedly attracts athletes of elite physical standards With the developments to the Oscar flag pumping policy there has now been a major increase in overtaking potential downwind. The lighter a boat is, the easier it is to plane and surf. Heavier sailors add weight to the boat and weigh it down. Lighter sailors in theory will plane a lot more as there is less drag preventing planing. The issue is now with pumping. The faster the boat moves the more apparent forces build. This means the faster you go, the lesser the overall loads are when pumping. If a boat slows down then the loads increase. If a boat hits a wave awkwardly the load in the rig increases significantly. The sailor must be strong
enough to overcome these loads in order to establish planing and then maintain it. Weaker sailors often do not have the strength to build this momentum and lose very large amounts of ground on those in front. Optimal balance Considering this, it is clear that height and weight are not the only factors involved. There needs to be an optimal balance of body size and strength. A taller, lighter, stronger athlete will be the fastest. The initial adaptation to this is in relation to lean bodymass. Any ounce of weight needs to contribute to performance and not simply be ballast. It needs to be in the form of lean muscle mass and not adipose tissue. The overall volume of sailing during an event requires the modern sailor to be well conditioned. Without a significant tolerance to physical stress a sailor will simply break down too rapidly to perform from start to finish of an event. The more technically proficient they are, the less fatigue and stress they accumulate. They will have less to recover from. The more conditioned they are, the better their level of tolerance is and the more efficient their recovery mechanisms are. The point of all this is that in order for sailors to take advantage of technological improvements they must be physically suited. There is a certain minimum requirement of weight and strength to get the most out of the equipment. A shorter athlete must be heavier and a taller athlete can be lighter. This forces the sailor to constantly optimize his natural physiology through strength and conditioning to meet the demands of the class.