What Is the Best Head Protection for Sailing?

Why sailing creates a real head-injury risk

Sailing injury literature shows that head trauma is a meaningful and sometimes severe part of the sport’s risk profile ^{[1, 2, 3, 4]}.

A large online sailing injury survey found that 24% of severe injuries were to the head, with severe injury patterns including planned and accidental jibes in which sailors were struck by the boom, mainsheet, or spinnaker pole ^[1]. A later review of the literature similarly identified collisions with the boom, mainsheet, and rigging as important mechanisms in severe sailing injuries ^[2]. A 2021 hydrofoiling sailing study reported that head trauma is among the most severe injuries in dinghy sailing and is often caused by the boom’s impact ^[3].

More recent work on professional sailing and concussion management reinforces the same point. A 2025 systematic review of concussion guidance across sailing sports states that boom strikes are among the most common causes of head injuries and concussions in sailing ^[4]. A 2025 SailGP study also found that head injuries were among the most prevalent injuries recorded, with concussions observed during training and competition, and with direct impacts and falls during manoeuvres causing most injuries ^[15].

So although sailing head protection is not usually discussed in the same way as rugby or boxing, the evidence is clear that head impacts are part of the sport, and boom strikes are one of the clearest examples ^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 15]}.

Head Protection vs Brain Protection

Understanding the difference between head protection and brain protection is essential.

This matters because concussions and other brain injuries are not simply “impact to skull” problems. They are biomechanical brain injury problems. Rotational head motion is strongly associated with brain strain, tissue deformation, and traumatic brain injury risk ^{[10, 11]}. Experimental and review literature also shows that rotational acceleration can contribute to diffuse axonal injury, vascular disruption, and blood-brain barrier damage following head trauma ^{[10, 11]}.

That is especially relevant in sailing, because many boom strikes and onboard collisions are not neat, straight-line impacts. They are oblique, sudden, and force the head to move rapidly. That makes rotational-force management a more relevant safety question than surface padding alone ^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 11]}.

“The Halos® has been a great addition to my sailing kit. I hardly notice I’m wearing it, it stays securely in place, and I can still hear and feel the wind — both essential when sailing. For me, safety comes first, and it feels far more practical than a helmet I wouldn’t wear anyway.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Mary Cooper | Rezon Halos® Customer

Why boom strikes are especially dangerous in sailing

Boom strikes deserve specific attention because they are one of the best-recognised mechanisms of serious head injury in sailing ^{[1, 2, 3, 4]}.

The boom is a moving structure capable of swinging rapidly with changing wind, course, or mismanaged manoeuvres. That means the sailor’s head may be struck unexpectedly, often at an angle, and often while the athlete’s body is already unstable or moving ^{[1, 2, 3, 4]}. This combination can create exactly the kind of rapid head acceleration and rotation associated with concussion biomechanics ^{[4, 10]}.

That is why boom strikes are not just “bumps to the head.” They can create sudden rotational loading of the brain. The RYA’s sailing concussion guidance recognises boom-related concussion risk directly, while the sailing injury literature repeatedly identifies boom strikes as a major mechanism in severe head injury ^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]}.

For sailors, this is the key brain-protection problem. If the main risk is a fast, angled impact from moving equipment, then the best head protection is not simply the product that adds material around the scalp. It is the product designed to reduce the rotational forces that matter most to the brain ^{[10,11, 12, 13, 14]}.

What actually causes brain injury in sailing?

Brain injury happens when force is transmitted through the head and causes the brain to move inside the skull. In sailing, that can happen when a sailor is hit by the boom, strikes the deck, collides with rigging or hardware, or falls awkwardly during a manoeuvre ^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]}.

The most important mechanism is rotational force. When the head is struck at an angle or rapidly changes direction, the brain rotates within the skull. That creates shear strain in brain tissue, which is one of the central mechanisms associated with traumatic brain injury ^[10]. Research also shows that rotationally driven brain injury can disrupt small blood vessels and contribute to blood-brain barrier dysfunction and neuroinflammatory responses after trauma ^[11].

This is why brain injury should not be thought of only as a dramatic knockout event. It is a biomechanical injury to the brain. In sailing, even a seemingly routine, smaller-force, sub-concussive onboard incident can contribute to brain injury risk even without immediate concussion symptoms ^{[4, 5, 10, 11]}.

What sailing governing bodies and sports authorities say about concussion

There is also growing recognition across sailing and sports authorities in the UK, Australia, and the United States that concussion must be recognised early and managed conservatively.

In the UK, the RYA recommends a policy of Recognise and Remove for suspected sailing concussion and notes that concussion can occur through bumps from the boom, rigging situations, and slips or falls ^[5]. The wider UK Concussion Guidelines for Grassroots Sport use the same “If in doubt, sit them out” principle and set out recognise, remove, and graduated return-to-sport steps for non-elite sport ^[6].

In Australia, the Australian Sports Commission’s concussion resources and 2024 Concussion and Brain Health Position Statement emphasise evidence-based recognition and management, including conservative return-to-sport timelines ^[7]. Australian Sailing has also published concussion guidance stating that any sailor with suspected concussion should be removed, medically assessed, and monitored for deterioration ^[8].

In the United States, US Sailing states that helmets should be considered and encouraged in higher-risk competitive settings and crew positions at increased risk of strikes to the head, reflecting the governing body’s concern about severe brain injury in sailing ^[9].

These sources do not all solve the equipment question in the same way, but they clearly show that concussion in sailing is a recognised issue internationally ^{[5, 6, 7, 8, 9]}.

Why comfort, security, and water practicality matter in sailing

Protection only works if sailors will actually wear it.

Sailing is different from many land-based sports because wearability is shaped by heat, spray, wind, repeated movement under the boom, and long periods on the water. Bulky or intrusive equipment is less likely to be worn consistently outside niche settings. That is why practical design matters as much as laboratory performance.

For sailing, head protection should be lightweight, low-profile, comfortable, and secure in active movement. Rezon Halos® is well suited to this environment because it is lightweight, flexible, water-resistant, and available with an optional chin strap for extra security when additional retention is needed ^{[12, 13, 14]}. Halos® also floats, which is a highly relevant practical benefit in sailing and water-sport settings.

Those details matter because the best non-helmeted protection for sailing is not just the one that performs well in theory. It is the one sailors will realistically wear during training, racing, coaching, and general on-water use.

Why Rezon Halos® is the best non-helmeted head protection for sailing

For sailors specifically looking for non-helmeted brain protection, Rezon Halos® is the best option because it is designed around the forces most associated with concussion and brain injury, rather than only surface contact ^{[12, 13, 14]}.

Rezon Halos® uses patented Rotection® technology to reduce rotational force transmission to the brain ^{[13, 14]}. Independent laboratory testing demonstrates that Halos®:

• reduces rotational force transmission by up to 61%
• reduces concussion risk by 74% using the Virginia Tech methodology
• holds a 5-Star Virginia Tech safety rating
• holds CE / UKCA Category II PPE certification
• is the only non-helmeted head-worn protection to combine that certification position with a 5-Star Virginia Tech rating ^{[12, 13, 14]}.

That combination matters in sailing because the typical high-risk event is not simply a scrape or minor contact. It is often a fast, angled impact such as a boom strike, where rotational force management is especially relevant ^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14]}.

Rezon Halos® also makes practical sense for sailing. It is low-profile rather than bulky, suitable for athletes who do not want a helmet solution, can be secured with a chin strap, and floats if it enters the water. For sailors trying to protect the brain without adopting a helmet-first approach, that makes Halos® the strongest overall fit for the sport.

What is the best concussion protection for sailing?

The best concussion protection for sailing is protection designed to reduce the rotational forces transmitted to the brain during impacts ^{[4, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14]}. In sailing, concussion risk can arise from boom strikes, sudden jibes, falls, collisions with onboard hardware, and other incidents that rapidly accelerate or rotate the head ^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]}.

Because those impacts are not purely surface-injury events, sailors should prioritise protection that addresses brain biomechanics, not just head coverage. For non-helmeted use in sailing, Rezon Halos® is the best option because it is specifically designed and independently tested for that purpose ^{[12, 13, 14]}.