scalimax said:2 days ago I was on the Lake of Como (Italia) with my Laser. The wind was strong enough (15 knots). Changing my way from beating to running I did a mistake and I incurred in a death roll (in this forum I have discovered my errors... later: too loose vang, too loose outhaul, I should have sheeted more,...)
Anyway the problem is that I fell in a bad way and I knocked my back against the mast. The result is that now I have 2 broken ribs. No problem in 30/45 days I will be back on my Laser again
Anyway my question is: do you know of similar cases? Is it frequent to get injuries while sailing the Laser (or other kind of dinghies)?
computeroman2 said:I've been sailing 420's in a junior sailing program for the last couple of years as well as my laser, and I find in 420's you should NEVER sail barefooted as there are so many cleats and things sticking out. I've cut my feet clean open many times as well as tearing off nails, bruises, etc. Also, regardless of boat, if i'm having a bad day and get lazy i'll hit my head on the boom multiple times[this has never lead to a concussion, but i'm sure it soon will]. Also, I was crewing on the 420 that was sent to the Bemis, and during the elimination round for ME, NH, and VT, we were planing off the wind[no spinnaker, the yacht club providing the boats was a little short on cash] in a good 20 knots with gusts varying from 25 to 35+, and we started death-rolling. We managed to save it after 3 near-misses and a close run-in with the lead competitor [we were in 2nd at the time], but not without myself gouging a chunk of my arm out on the steel jib cable- I still have the scar 6 months later...I could see my arm bone clearly through the hole. I can't speak for any broken bones, though I have bruised my ribs many-a-time doing really sloppy head-first dry-capsizes.