Today we speak with renowned sailing fitness coach Harry Legum, founder of Annapolis Sailing Fitness and a pioneer of sailing-specific physical training. With decades of experience working with everyone from club racers to Olympic gold medallists and America’s Cup teams, Harry explains why effective sailing fitness goes far beyond strength, focusing instead on movement quality, balance, agility, endurance, and mental resilience.
Harry shares how understanding a sailor’s motivation, building grit, and training the mind under fatigue are critical to performing well in chaotic racing situations. He discusses how elite sailors prepare differently, how club racers can realistically adopt many of the same habits, and why simple activities like walking, biking, and basic strength work can significantly improve performance, recovery, and safety on board. Packed with practical advice, personal stories, and humour, this conversation offers clear takeaways for sailors of all levels looking to sail faster, recover better, and stay in the game longer.
What is Sailfaster: The Podcast For Racing Sailors?
Sailfaster is the podcast for competitive sailors who want to sail faster and win more races. Each episode, host Pete Boland sits down with Olympic medallists, America's Cup and SailGP sailors, offshore racers and coaches to unpack starting technique, boat speed, race tactics, crew management, regatta preparation and race-day mindset — the details that separate the front of the fleet from the rest. Whether you race dinghies, one-designs, keelboats or offshore, you'll walk away with something to use on the water this weekend.