If Boats were Football Teams

yeah i know - i didnt mean that statement to be so strong.  BUT being a road cyclist and sailor myself i can confidently say that there is nowhere near as much complicated tactics and strategy involved.  Theres a bit yes but not nearly as much as in a sailing race.  The kind of things that go through my mind in a long distance cycling race are: have i got enough energy to get me to the finish, when should i break away from the group, can i get a leadout from anyone?, who's sprinting away and will i be able to pull them back, must crash! lol    Hardly THAT complicated.  I can't speak for boxing as ive never done it but i do think that sailing combines all aspects of a challenging sport and, therefore, is the BEST sport

Back on topic..........

Football teams

I-14- definately Chelsea due to the changing nature of the boat, its successfulness and the cheque-book nature of the class (think that's been covered before)

Laser 5000- Blackburn Rovers, can mix it with the best, play rough, been up and down over the years, had major success in the early 90s and seriously underated.

49er- Glasgow Rangers, constantly successful and will always be successful in the future and as the chants go at Ibrox (Rangers stadium), "Simply the Best"

505- Celtic football club, great history and also very succesful......... (and I know it will annoy lozza when he reads this post )

Originally posted by allanorton Originally posted by 49erGBR735HSC Officially, motorsport is a sport because in the rankings for most challenging sports it goes: 1)Sailing 2)F1 Racing 3)Equestrian I would say- 1) Pro cycling (eg Tour de France, 7hrs in the saddle most days, in all weathers, for 3 weeks!!!) 2) Ironman Triathlon 3) Boxing ( I wouldn't want to do it!) 4) Marathon running 5)Formula 1 Football doesn't make the list even, its a game not a sport.

I would agree with that list if it was headed most physically enduring but when ranking sports as most changelling, I reckon whoever compiled the list would have considered physical endurance as one aspect to consider in the overall stakes.

I reckon the rankings which were quoted to me are about right. Sailing is first because it covers all aspects of the sports and is probably based upon the skills needed for top level High Performance Racing and off-shore yacht racing. When you consider the levels of physical and mental skills in these areas, I don't think you can find a more demanding sport. Think of sailors like Ellen MacArthur, Emma Richards, Pete Goss, Tony Bullimore, the guys who have done legs on the VO70s, etc, and think of the environment they are racing in and what faces them every day with no way of escape and compare that to other sports and I find it hard to say any other sport is more challenging. At the top levels of High Performance sailing, the fitness levels have been compared to the levels of a profesional boxer but at the same time, imagine the ring constantly moving and the competition constantly changing. For top level keel boat racers, the fitness levels have been compared to those of a rugby player but in the same instance, the field of play in a rugby match is not constantly changing. Although both boxing and rugby may inflict more physical pain upon the people participating, the mental demands opposed upon sailors is much higher and raise sailing to a higher level in the most challenging stakes. Formula 1 racing is seen as a highly dangerous sport but over the last 4 decades, I reckon there have been more fatalities involved with sailing. When the BBC were conducting their 2005 sports personality of the year competition, I personally felt gutted that Ellen didn't win it because I felt her achievement was the greatest and in her case, a mistake would have very serious consequences compared to those which may happen on a cricket field but I suppose the results are based on public perception of a sport and not the actual physical risk and demands.

thats because it doesn't require serious physical exertion. higher, faster, stronger remember. isn't that why they ditched powerboat racing