I rarely come back from a sail not bleeding in some way. I am a heavy weather sailor and have had many injuries to speak of but the one that I remember always is the sail being back winded when getting out of my bay in lots of cats paws and I was mucking with a rudder.
The boom (Windrush 14, heavy kit) slapped me right in the ear after a full jibe. I was almost knocked out and am convinced the padding of my fleshy little ear saved me from that fate.
My head hurt and so did my pride but my ear had that throbing, hot won't go away holy shxt pain that is a little like kicking your bare little toe on something hard and immoveable when half asleep.
I still have the image of the flesh of my ear actually being mushy stuff inside a skin bag.