Key technical factors and steadiness in Olympic and regional sailors in ILCA class: insights from a sailing simulator study

Little attention has been given to the study of sport sailing. A new trend in performance analysis of cyclic sports involves examining steadiness between cycles. Therefore, the aims of this study were as follows: to determine which technical aspects differ between Olympic and regional-level sailors to maximise performance in the ILCA class, and to analyse whether steadiness in these technical variables is enhanced in athletes at a higher competitive level. A total of 36 ILCA sailors participated in the study—8 from Olympic teams and 28 from regional competitions – performing a sailing test on a simulator. Performance and technical variables, such as speed, heading angle, boom angle, heel angle, rudder angle, and hiking effort were assessed. Additionally, short-term and long-term steadiness of these variables were analysed. Olympic sailors demonstrated superior performance by higher speed, greater hiking effort, and lower heading, boom, heel, and rudder angles (p < 0.05). Furthermore, Olympic sailors exhibited greater steadiness in some technical variables (p < 0.05). In conclusion, Olympic sailors outperform regional sailors in specific linear tests due to higher speed influenced by technical aspects related to the mechanical behaviour of the boat and the ability to maintain more consistent force values and steadier technical aspects.