The Finish Line

I have raced off and on as the driver on my own boat and as crew on other boats, including one memorable race I did completely single-handed on my boat. Racing is tough because you've got to be smart about race strategy and tactics; you need strength, speed and skill to set the sails properly and maneuver the boat efficiently; and you need to jump from being in a static position for several minutes to cranking hard and fast on lines on a moving deck. On my boat, the force on the lines can be 1000 pounds or more. Smaller boats require major abdominal and back strength, as the whole body is used to keep the boat upright against the force of the wind.