Jaguar has

been the official medical and rehab provider for US sailing along with hundreds of international sailing athletes, including Olympic & America’s Cup athletes, for over 8 years. Our experience with unique and common sailing injuries allows for precise diagnosis, prognosis, and efficient treatment.

Olympic Class sailing and all big boat competitors are at risk for increased injury secondary to the stresses they put through their body. There are very view evidence based research studies on how injuries occur, how often they occur, and who has the biggest risk of those injuries. Jaguar has over 8 years of experience working with all classes and levels of sailing athletes for both strength and conditioning and rehabilitation with injuries.

Many members of our team have trained and treated these athletes in our clinics in Florida along with international events including but not limited to:

  • KAAB Opti camp (Palamos Spain)
  • Sail For Gold (Weymouth England)
  • Combined World Championships (Santander Spain)
  • Sailing World Cup Palma (Palma De Majorca)
  • Sailing World Cup: (Hyeres France)
  • Sailing World Cup: (Miami Florida)
  • 2012 Olympics (London/Weymouth England)
  • USOC Training Camps (Chula Vista CA & Colorado Springs CO)

Common injuries (categorized by type of injury) throughout the boat classes include but not limited to:

  • Lumbar Facet dysfunctions
  • Low back muscular strains
  • Lumbar spine pain
  • Hyper and hypo-mobile lumbar segments
  • Shoulder impingements
  • Meniscal injuries
  • Patellar femoral Pain
  • ACL tears

Injuries (categorized by movement patterns) vary among each boat and position that is sailed. Movement patterns that have risk of injury throughout the boat classes can be categorized as:

  • Hiking (both straight and bent leg)
  • Trapezing
  • Pumping
  • Tacking

.

Hiking

LEGS

Leg extension (through the hiking strap): This force is magnified by:

  • Patella compressive forces
    • Lateral tracking
  • Quad and patella tendon stress
  • Valgus and varus stresses while shifting on a locked knee
  • Rotational torque on locked knee
  • Flexion/extension forces with starting the “tacking” process

LOW BACK

A fatigued/lazy position

  • Loss of arch in low back
  • IVD pushed posterior
  • Rounded shoulders
  • Forward head
  • Protracted scapulas

LUMBAR STRESSES

Lumbar Spine involvement L1-L5 (over edge of hull)

  • Prolonged flexion posture
  • Repetitive flexion/extension
  • Repetitive side glide
  • Shearing forces

TRAPEZE

SHOULDER COMPLEX

Cleating

  • Shoulder: abduction, flexion, and IR
  • Bicep Flexion

Hooking/unhooking

  • Distraction
  • Protraction/Retraction

CERVICAL SPINE INVOLVEMENT

  • Flexion of Upper Cervical
  • Extension of Lower Cervical
  • Rotation

LUMBAR SPINE INVOLVEMENT

Body is in triple extension

  • Hips
  • Knees
  • Ankle

Proper position

  • IVD centered
  • Chest out
  • Scapulas slightly pulling together
  • Neck in extension and rotation