The origins of sailing dates back to antiquity, and despite the passage of millennia, the sport retains its strong and characteristic relationship with natural elements. Technical and tactical skills play a crucial role, often more-so than general physical fi tness. At the same time, sailing has greatly changed over time, especially over the last few decades, and it is still in tumultuous evolution. Technology plays an ever more important role (Fig. 22.1 ) while new equipment and race formats with an emphasis on speed and spectacular maneuvers continue to attract the attention of the media and general public. These features allow modern sailing to be counted among other extreme sports. In particular, offshore sailing competitions which are held in hostile and unpredictable environmental conditions maintain the spirit of ancient pioneering expeditions while fl eet regattas and match races are characterized by breathtaking and high-speed maneuvers. As sailboat performance advances, so does the demand for ever-greater physical and mental performance on the part of athletes. As a result, medical support such as advising on the choice of equipment and the most effi cient safety systems, optimizing the athletic preparation of crew members, and the prevention and rehabilitation of any injuries and illnesses sustained becomes ever-increasingly important.
Extreme sailing medicine: Injuries and illnesses.
Feletti F
Project Administration
;
2017
Abstract
The origins of sailing dates back to antiquity, and despite the passage of millennia, the sport retains its strong and characteristic relationship with natural elements. Technical and tactical skills play a crucial role, often more-so than general physical fi tness. At the same time, sailing has greatly changed over time, especially over the last few decades, and it is still in tumultuous evolution. Technology plays an ever more important role (Fig. 22.1 ) while new equipment and race formats with an emphasis on speed and spectacular maneuvers continue to attract the attention of the media and general public. These features allow modern sailing to be counted among other extreme sports. In particular, offshore sailing competitions which are held in hostile and unpredictable environmental conditions maintain the spirit of ancient pioneering expeditions while fl eet regattas and match races are characterized by breathtaking and high-speed maneuvers. As sailboat performance advances, so does the demand for ever-greater physical and mental performance on the part of athletes. As a result, medical support such as advising on the choice of equipment and the most effi cient safety systems, optimizing the athletic preparation of crew members, and the prevention and rehabilitation of any injuries and illnesses sustained becomes ever-increasingly important.I documenti in SFERA sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
