Boat International – June 2017

BOAT LIFE

Illustration – Fernando Volken Togni

B

eing a top sailor is no longer enough if you want to compete in

the America’s Cup. The Cup has changed dramatically from

previous campaigns and the sport now requires a wide range of

physical abilities from its sailors. Racing a foiling wingsail catamaran

that can reach speeds of more than 50mph, and making crucial tactical

decisions in this fast and furious environment, demands a level of

conditioning that has not been seen before.

The Land Rover BAR team are elite athletes who

can perform almost continuously for a supercharged

30 minute race, three races a day, over and over again.

They are required to produce both sustained power

output similar to an endurance athlete, and significant

force at certain key moments like a sprinter or a boxer.

To achieve this they spend between 10 and 15 hours a

week in the gym. During this time they work on all

aspects of human performance, ranging from mobility

and prehab (a proactive form of injury reduction) to

“watt farming” as it has affectionately become known. This type of

training is essential for a successful team because if they have the

required power they can concentrate on sailing these performance

machines in the high-pressure environment of the America’s Cup.

The gruelling cardiovascular sessions are designed to increase the

sustained and intermittent power abilities of the crew.

My aim is to deliver powerful, healthy and uninjured sailors to

the racing yacht. Nutrition, wellness and recovery are also

important. The sailors aren’t just monitored while sailing

and in the gym. A close eye is also kept on the recovery

markers of stress, sleep and soreness. Then health experts

from KX Life take blood screenings and implement their

nutrition plan. So when they step on board they can give

it their best shot in the knowledge they are at the peak of

their physical fitness.

Ben Williams is head of strength and conditioning

at Land Rover BAR

Sailors? No, athletes

The “sitting down” sport is long gone now

that British trainer Ben Williams is on the case

Gruelling

cardiovascular

sessions

increase

sustained and

intermittent

power

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HEALTH

The Land Rover BAR

team spend 20

hours each week on

the water and 10 to

15 more in the gym.

The average crew weight

is 87.5kg but due to the

physical demands each

sailor consumes

35,000kcals a week to

sustain his weight and

fuel performance.

Sailors reach peak

heart rates of

188bpm in races

while averaging

164bpm.

They can individually

produce in excess of

1,700 watts when

working at peak power

and lift on average

25,500kg each week

during strength sessions.

During America’s Cup World Series regattas

the five-strong crew was known to get

through more than 100 gels and energy bars

to fuel performance.

During a normal training week each sailor will

consume more than 40 litres of SOS hydration

fluid, which is as effective as an IV drip but

with no artificial nasties.

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