Laser Worlds

[Guest Rocket]

What a stunning position for NZ team going into finals - 4 in top 8, 5 in top 20...

 

Man we have freakish depth in dinghys!!

 

YNZ have sure got the little boats sorted - talent right through the classes and super hot in lasers.

[w44vi 17]

Do YNZ deserve the credit ?

[Guest Rocket]

They sure deserve a heap of it. They have been supporting the dinghy kids to get away to regattas, supplying coaches, supplying regionala coordinators, paying gymn fees for a bunch of them for years. This has led to a huge depth of experienced fit well trained athletes who can mix it on the toughest stage. This doesn't happen by accident.

 

I was in the 470 fleet when we were strong like this in the late 70s, early 80s and back then we had huge assistance from volunteers - guys like Roy Dickson who used to run start after start for us each weekend. Back then happenstance played a bigger part - this time there has been a concerted effort to build depth - and a lot of investment. So big ups to all involved and yes YNZ is a major chunk of that.

[smithy09 50]

We have had guys at the top of the Laser worlds quite a number of times over the years, and won them as well, but I can never remember so many in the top 20. Stunning effort. Well done guys!

Here's hoping for at least one podium which is certainly do-able. No shortage of talent in that World Laser fleet...

[Guest]

The last time I can recall the Lasers being this good was 1999? in Japan.

Nick Burfoot won, Hamish Pepper was 4th? and Chris Main and Cameron Dunn were right there too.

[Guest]

I can't believe how long the regatta was. 14 races over 7 or so days means that you have to stay at the top of your game and the top guy truly is the champ.

See that Paul Goodison finished 9th while counting a DNF(54pts).

[smithy09 50]

The last time I can recall the Lasers being this good was 1999? in Japan.

Nick Burfoot won, Hamish Pepper was 4th? and Chris Main and Cameron Dunn were right there too.

 

Yes some good talent back then.

Nick actually saved my back!! He wrote an article about training muscles in "pairs" (ie abs and lower back). I tried it and 15 years of lower back pain went away in 6 months...

They were a good bunch to race that lot. Not often I saw them behind me.. All the stars had to be in alignment, and some kind of first beat flier was normally involved....

[Gappy 9]

smithy what are the chances you know where to get hold of that article I have a real weak lower back and keep putting it out trying to gym it up but would be interested in those exercies

 

cheers

 

Blair

[smithy09 50]

Hi Blair.

 

Sorry mate, I have absolutely no idea. I would say your best bet would be to try and get ahold of Nick personally, maybe via here or YNZ and see if he still has a copy.

I will describe what I did and maybe that will help.

 

Back in the 90s, my lower back got so bad that I couldn't sleep, was munching anti-inflamatories and muscle relaxants like lollies, and had to do quotes in the office, lying on my stomach on the floor. I was about 35 years old and had had back problems since I was about 24 after a bad car crash.

I got a diagnosis from a surgeon (after a full MRI scan that showed dodgy discs) who reccomended spinal fusion. Turned out he was a bit of a butcher. I only found out after bumping into one of his "mistakes" in hospital on a morphine drip while visiting my Dad.. This guy's life was wrecked after the operation (nerve damage caused constant pain, lost his business because of it) and he said "get a second opinion" so I did. The second guy's name was Howie, and he is apparently #1 back specialist in NZ. He said, no surgery, build up abs and back.

Then I read Nick's article. He said that the common mistake people (Laser sailers) make is to do all ab work and no back work. This results in a muscle imbalance which leaves your back vulnerable. He reccomended crunches, not sit ups for the ab work, and a variety of back excersise.

The one I do is the Roman chair. You lean on your stomach over a padded bench about 1.2 metres off the ground with your legs under a bar at the back.

Cross your hands over your chest, and lower your head and upper body from horizontal to vertical, bent at the waist. Then lift back up to horizontal. Start with no weights, 3 sets of 20, or however many you can manage. Personally I excersised through a bit of pain and it did me no damage, then I moved up in the weights (slowly) until I was holding a 20kg weight against my chest and doing 3 sets of 20. Currently I use 15kg as I am not as fit any more.

 

With the crunches I use one of those machines that support your neck and have a hand bar out in front of you. You do them on a mat. The important thing is to breathe OUT when you crunch. Don't lift your lower back off the ground. I do one set of 200 crunches, straight after the Roman chair.

 

The result? No back pain for the last 12 years, except when I stop excersising... And even then nothing like before. Even the second specialist Howie said the problem was degenerating disc desease and it would worsen with age. Rubbish. I have a better back now that when I was 25, and I'm 51 now.. I don't know if it will work for everyone, but it worked for me. I know the pain a bad back gives, so you have my sympathy Blair.

Another really good book on backs is "Treat your own back" by a Kiwi doctor, Robin McKenzie. Excellent. Lots of non drug pain remedy solutions in there, and some good day to day stuff. He also says that the best way to fix a back is not by rest, but by keeping it moving and excersise, and he was right in my case.

Funny thing is, once you have built up that core muscle strength, it doesn't go away quickly, so even if you get a bit unfit, the protection it provides is still there.

 

Oh, and BTW, I tried all the other stuff. Invertex (where you hang upside down) Rubbish. Kneeling chair in the office (limited success) lumbar roll in the car (limited success), loads of drugs (relief only). The 2 excersises that I described were the only things that fixed me.

I hope this helps. Fire any questions you like and I will try to answer. Cheers, Smithy.

[smithy09 50]

Oh yeah. Gym? 3 times a week, do the back excersise and crunches every time, but mix up the other stuff. No excuses for first 6 months!! You can't stop going and expect it to work, it has to be constant.. I hate the place (even worse out here on the boat) but I hate back pain even more...

[Gappy 9]

Smithy

 

Thanks

 

That awesum yea I slipped a disc as a kid and have had a bad back ever since one day its fine then I can just get out of the car the wrong way and be on the ground in pain and that then lasts for weeks it seems to happen every few months the last time only a few weeks ago and is just kind of getting back to normall.

 

Will try what You suggest I actually think I am right in sayin that Nick wrote a book on laser sailing which had fitness in it so will try and idg that out from somewhere.

 

Cheers

 

Blair

[smithy09 50]

I didn't know Nick wrote a book on it! I might have to try and find that for myself. He's a good sailor. Struggling in gthe Finns a bit from what I see, but no idea how long he's been out of it.

No sweat on the back thing. I only know that it works for me, so no guarantees. My discs never slipped but had big bulges in them (2 of them). No idea what they look like now.. Would be interesting. That "treat your own back" is also very good. Good luck mate!!

[Guest Rocket]

I am using a trainer dude to try and get a step change in my fitness (sickof being at the front of the B gets me to do is in "pairs". The ab attacks are pretty formulaic.

 

4 sets of the following:

 

8 backlifts (20kg barebell on shoulders)

20 swiss ball cruches with say 5kg behind head

 

20 side flexes on swiss ball

20 knee tucks on that chair thingy

 

15 decline situps on max height

1 min plank with 20kg on your arse.

 

30-45 second breaks between some - no break between situps and plank

 

My big takeaway is how much a trainer can add to your routine (I see him every 2 week). And how important strength training is. I have spent my whole life doing cardio - running, cycling, rowing. And as I got older I was maintaining my weight but losing strength - I was literally running my muscle off. I have been on 100% weights for a year now and am only just starting to do anything vaguely cardio.

 

I recommend useing a pro - I referred my guy to youtube videos of laser sailing - he was amazed at my lack of abs - but then he is machine. I think years of being on the wire and tophandling winches on big boats left me with weak abs and then I found techniques to work around my weakness to survive laser races.

 

I go to Robin Leatham at Olympic - he is good - strength and conditioning.

[Guest Rocket]

No edit button

 

 

Should read "sick of being in the B division and getting beaten by guys who were simply stronger and fitter"

 

"everything trainer gets me to do is in pairs"

[smithy09 50]

Good to hear Rocket! How's the weight now you'r only doing weights?? I'm sick of the cardio myself, and was thinking of doing the same, but I agree. Personal trainer is the way.. Gets you down there on time!

[Guest Rocket]

The trainer has a killer diet that is guaranteed to deal to the weight - same diet bodybuilders use to get cut.

 

I am struggling to get it lower but am heading south slowly and gaining muscle so it works.... I just wish it was easier. Probably if i styopped drinking I would be there (85kg) in a heart beat - but how much fun would that be?