Pounding the crew into shape

Even superb athletes have to be reshaped for racing. GORDON JON THOMPSON reports.

Rob Waddell the sailor is a different beast to Waddell the rower who won Olympic gold in Sydney two and a half years ago.

Apart from learning the art of yachting, Waddell has reinvented himself physically to cope with the rigours of being a grinder for Team New Zealand.

For starters, Waddell has packed more than 20kg on to his former racing weight of 100kg. While he relied on leg strength to dominate world sculling, he has had to beef up his upper body in preparation for hours of frantic grinding on the Hauraki Gulf.

Charged with masterminding Waddell's transformation has been Team NZ trainer David Slyfield.

"Rob was incredibly lean at the Olympics and through lots of gym work has increased his muscle strength in his upper body.

"The weight he's had to put on is to provide him with the reserves to support the work his body is doing as a grinder," says Slyfield.

While Waddell's transformation has been startling, Slyfield has faced different challenges getting the rest of the Team NZ crew into shape.

Waddell's world-class athletic ability won him a spot on the team, but that's not the case for the rest of the crew, who have been picked for their sailing talents.

"The people on the boat are sailors first and athletes second, so sometimes I am training people who may not have been born with natural athletic talent. In some cases I am working with a blank canvas," Slyfield says.

There's a vital reason for getting the crew into shape. Their maximum total weight is 1450kg - an average of 91kg for each of the 16 crew. When grinders are weighing in at up to 125kg each, the remaining crew members have to compensate.

Slyfield says: "It's a juggling act. We need to hit the weight limit, but maximise the crew's strength."

The penalty for exceeding the limit at a weigh-in after each race is harsh - disqualification. To avoid this, each member was given a goal weight two years ago. This was revised after a year and again six months ago.

When Team New Zealand hits the water in the first cup race, each sailor must be within 1kg of their target.

Weights are achieved through individual gym and fitness programmes and group activities that have included runs up the Sky Tower, walks over the Auckland harbour bridge, and rugby league with the Auckland Warriors.

The team has also been working with nutritionist Jeni Pearce, who has devised individual meal plans for the crew.

The 16-strong racing crew can be split into two camps: half have a highly physical role and the remainder more intellectual jobs. The first group - grinders, bowman and mid-bowman - provide the grunt to get the boat moving. These positions need high levels of aerobic fitness and muscle strength. The men need to work intensively for long periods while their team-mates change the boat's direction or sails.

The rest of the crew make up the "brains" of the boat. These are the skipper, tactician, navigator, helmsman, strategist and trimmers. While their roles are less physical, Slyfield says they still have to be fit enough to cope with several consecutive days of sailing and the stress of racing.

"For example, Dean Barker's heart rate hits 90% of its maximum during pre-race manoeuvring. Every guy needs to be fit for his job - there's no room for anything less."


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