Lakers versus salties: Doctor studies health on Mack race

By Peggy Walsh-Sarnecki

July 9, 2014 at 3:09 pm

Happily seasick. Credit: Tatiana Bulyonkova.

Dr. Thomas Kopp, an emergency medicine resident at Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo, is also a veteran Mackinac sailor, doing his 24th Bell’s Beer Bayview Mackinac Race this year.

So it is perhaps only natural that Kopp’s sailing and medical experience are coming together for a medical study that could, ultimately benefit all Great Lakes sailors.

Kopp is studying the nature of illnesses and accidents on offshore Great Lakes races, which has never been studied on the Great Lakes.

Kopp is going to compare his data with a 2006 Brown University study of about 8,000 sailors over five Newport to Bermuda races.

The population of sailors is remaining active longer and with more active health problems – Kopp

The ultimate result will not only find any differences between safety and illnesses on the Great Lakes versus open ocean sailing, but it can also help clubs and skippers find the best safety and medical equipment.

Kopp began his study with last year’s Port Huron to Mackinac race, where he included surveys in each skipper’s packets asking about illnesses and accidents during the race. About 1,200 sailors, from about 73% of the boats responded.

The main health issue reported last year was seasickness. The first night especially in the 2013 race had waves; not necessarily large waves but very frequent waves, he said. But Kopp cautioned that one year isn’t enough data to draw any conclusions.

This year he’s once again including the surveys in each skipper’s packet and is also expanding his sample field to include the Chicago Yacht Club’s Race to Mackinac. He eventually wants to reach the same number of sailors, 8,000, as the Brown study to make a more even comparison.

“The population of sailors is remaining active longer and with more active health problems,” Kopp said. Sailors are racing with medical issues such as diabetes, or while taking blood thinners for heart problems, as examples.

Plus the improvements in communication technology means boats may remain in the race after getting advice for an onboard injury or illness, when in the past the boat may have been forced to retire.

All of this makes the information even more important, Kopp said.

Kopp, a native of Port Huron, is a graduate of Wayne State University’s School of Medicine.