Performance measurement of sailors with custom hiking bench and motion tracking system

Abstract In the research, a static hiking bench, built after our custom design, with load sensors was used as a boat simulator. The feasibility of the developed instrument and measurement method was tested on a professional Finn dinghy sailor. The body posture in 3D and the exerted forces were recorded during different simulated wind strengths (light, moderate and strong wind), then the maximal physical performance was assessed by a Bucket-test and the measurement of the maximal arm forces. The results of the hiking sessions were compared to past measurements carried out on water. The profiles of the forces on the hiking strap were similar, but the profiles of the forces on the schott rope (simulated wind strength) were not comparable. Depending on the schott load, the CoM coordinates did not change significantly, while the hiking posture (the joint angles) did vary significantly. This means that the hiking technique depends on the wind speed and this can be described by numerical data. The analysis of the results concluded that the new measuring system is suitable for measuring and analyzing the performance of sailors’ hiking technique, which can lead to better instructions regarding the hiking of the sailor from the coaches and better results.