Calories burned
sailing
243 kcal / hour Sailing burns approximately 243 calories per hour for a 70 kg (154 lb) adult, and 121 calories in 30 minutes. Across the normal adult weight range the hourly figure runs from about 173 to 416 kcal.
It carries a MET value of 3.3 in the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities, which lists 5 measured variations of this activity from MET 2 to 9.3.
Calories burned sailing by body weight
Energy cost scales with the mass you move, so body weight changes the answer more than anything else.
| Body weight | 15 min | 30 min | 45 min | 60 min | 90 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg (110 lb) | 43 | 87 | 130 | 173 | 260 |
| 60 kg (132 lb) | 52 | 104 | 156 | 208 | 312 |
| 70 kg (154 lb) | 61 | 121 | 182 | 243 | 364 |
| 80 kg (176 lb) | 69 | 139 | 208 | 277 | 416 |
| 90 kg (198 lb) | 78 | 156 | 234 | 312 | 468 |
| 100 kg (220 lb) | 87 | 173 | 260 | 347 | 520 |
| 110 kg (243 lb) | 95 | 191 | 286 | 381 | 572 |
| 120 kg (265 lb) | 104 | 208 | 312 | 416 | 624 |
Figures in kilocalories (the "calories" on food labels). The highlighted row is the 70 kg reference adult used in the headline figure; the highlighted column is one hour.
Every official intensity of sailing
The Compendium lists 5 separate sailing entries, each with its own measured MET value — from 2 to 9.3. Most calculators collapse all of this into one number. Pick the row that matches what you actually did.
| Variation | MET | kcal/hr at 70 kg | kcal/hr at 90 kg | Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| dingy | 2 | 147 | 189 | 18142 |
| boat and board sailing, windsurfing, ice sailing, general | 3 | 221 | 284 | 18120 |
| Sunfish/Laser/Hobby Cat, Keel boats, ocean sailing, yachting, leisure | 3.3 | 243 | 312 | 18140 |
| in competition, general | 4.5 | 331 | 425 | 18130 |
| in competition, high effort | 9.3 | 684 | 879 | 18132 |
Codes are 2024 Adult Compendium activity codes. A dash means the code could not be read unambiguously from the published table, so it is left blank rather than guessed — the MET value and description are unaffected.
What 243 calories an hour actually means
At MET 3.3, sailing counts as moderate activity — it uses about 3.3 times the energy your body burns sitting still. For a 70 kg adult that works out to roughly 4 kcal per minute, or 243 kcal across a full hour.
Within water activities, that ranks 25th of 29 activities by energy cost, a little below surfing (MET 4) and above diving (MET 3).
Put differently: one hour of sailing costs about the same energy as 49 minutes of ordinary walking.
On the food side, a slice of pizza (about 285 kcal) takes roughly 71 minutes of sailing to offset at that body weight. That framing is useful for scale, but it is worth saying plainly: exercise and diet are not a ledger that cancels neatly, and appetite tends to rise with activity.
Questions
How many calories does sailing burn per hour?
About 243 kcal per hour for a 70 kg (154 lb) adult, using the Compendium MET value of 3.3. A 90 kg adult burns closer to 312 kcal in the same hour, because energy cost scales almost directly with body mass.
How many calories does 30 minutes of sailing burn?
Roughly 121 kcal at 70 kg, 104 kcal at 60 kg and 173 kcal at 100 kg. Halving the time halves the calories — the relationship is linear.
What is the MET value of sailing?
3.3, taken as the median of the 5 sailing entries in the 2024 Adult Compendium, which range from 2 to 9.3 depending on intensity. One MET is the energy you use sitting quietly, so MET 3.3 means 3.3 times that rate.
Is this an exact number of calories?
No, and no calculator can give you one. MET values are population averages measured in laboratory conditions; your own figure varies with fitness, technique, terrain, temperature and body composition. Treat these numbers as a solid estimate for planning, not a precise measurement — and treat any device or site claiming three-digit precision with suspicion.
Related activities
Three more from water activities, and three with a similar energy cost from elsewhere in the Compendium.
MET value from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities (activity code 18142). Calories computed as MET × 3.5 × weight kg ÷ 200 per minute. General information only — not medical, fitness or nutrition advice. Calorie figures are population estimates and vary between individuals.