Sailing is often thought of as a luxurious, relaxing time on the water.

But those who sail competitively will tell you it’s a full-body workout. 

“You need to have a lot of core and knee strength,” said Karin Grävare Silbernagel, associate chair and professor of physical therapy at the University of Delaware College of Health Sciences. “A lot of their training happens during the winter. Sailors in Sweden are cross-country skiers or runners; they do a lot of weightlifting.”  

Silbernagel grew up on the water in Sweden in a sailing family. Two of her brothers sailed in the 1984 Olympics, and one is the head coach of the Swedish Olympic Sailing Team. 

Conditions aren’t always perfect on the water, and sailors must be ready for anything.  

“They perform in all kinds of weather — pouring rain, wind — those are tough conditions, and you must stay agile,” she said. “The key is to understand the wind, where it’s coming from, so you’re in the best position to get the best wind to get to the mark faster than anybody else.” 

“Being big and strong helps you in a heavy wind, but when a lighter wind, being too big slows you down, so sailors must handle that balance,” she said. 

John Fulkerson, a rising junior majoring in computer science, joined UD’s club sailing team during his first year at UD. For him, sailing is all about strategy and finesse. 

“No matter how much you learn in the yacht club, you learn by doing,” Fulkerson said. “Small, fine details make a difference in light wind. In heavy wind, it’s whoever can keep their boat up. You can’t point the boat straight where you want to go. You want to go into the wind, and you can’t, so you must zig-zag back and forth to get where you want to go.” 

The 330 sailors who will compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics will be ready for conditions of any kind on the waters of Marseille Marina in South France, which often sees constant wind without currents or tides. For the first time, kite sailing will be part of the competition at the Olympic Games.