Ten years ago there was a spoof article announcing helmets were now mandatory for sailors in Canada. The article elicited real passion and anger from people who felt our society and sport was becoming too soft. Following the 2013 America's Cup and with helmets becoming de rigueur in other sports I wonder if sailing helmets are an idea whose time has come. 
America's Cup teams came to the line dressed for battle in helmets and protective suits with emergency air bottles, knives, and communication systems. Team New Zealand looked like fighter pilot Terminators. Their website even featured a group photo of the team with Tom "Top Gun" Cruise. If you ignore Luna Rossa's ridiculous silver suits the AC teams looked cool and nothing sells safety gear like seeing it on the top pros. It has succeeded with snowboarding, skiing, wakeboarding, cycling and others. You can't compare the risks of catamarans "foiling" at 40 knots to recreational sailors and I'm not suggesting you should. Nor am I advocating for helmet use. I think helmets will migrate into performance dinghies like 49ers and Moths and wonder if this is a trend that will change the standard for safety gear in sailing and other boating activities. What do you think?  |
| Maverick visits Team New Zealand |
I expect the old guard will be brutally dismissive of sailing helmets while lamenting the wussification of society at large. But how many of them are on the water sporting dorky wide-brimmed hats for protection from the sun? To each his own but talk about wussies; what's a little sunburn compared to permanent disability, mental impairment or death from a head injury? There will also be people who will say helmets don't always work and if you consider former F1 driver Michael Schumacher's current situation you can't argue that point? The future is not really about what the salty dogs think. The trend and the future of sailing sailing helmets is going to hinge on the attitudes of younger sailors.
We have no issue wearing gear to protect us from the elements or for safety (PFD) so why not consider protection for your noggin? I'd like to receive your comments on this blog or let's have the discussion on Twitter @SkippersPlan #sailinghelmets
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