Kinematics of the Hiking Position in Optimist-Class Sailors Using a 2D Analysis Method

Abstract

Study purpose. This study aimed to analyze 2D kinematic characteristics (joint angles and posture displacement) and evaluate the effects of the maneuver side (port and starboard) and movement phase transitions (before, during, and after) during hiking maneuvers in elite Optimist class sailing.

Materials and methods. A quantitative approach with a Within-Subjects Design (Repeated Measures) was employed, involving two National Champion Optimist athletes from the West Java Regional Training Center. Each participant performed 25 repetitions per maneuver side, yielding a total of 50 analyzed trials (N = 50). Data were collected using a controlled land-based actual boat simulation recorded from frontal and sagittal planes. Data were extracted via Kinovea software and analyzed using Two-Way Repeated Measures ANOVA with Greenhouse-Geisser correction ().

Results. The findings indicated no statistically significant difference in kinematic profiles between Port and Starboard maneuvers, , , and no interaction effect between side and phase factors, . However, a highly significant difference in postural adaptation was found across movement phases, , . The effect size was extremely strong (), signifying that postural changes were dominated by the mechanical transition of wind-holding phases (replicated by a knee lock of , sagittal trunk extension of , and frontal trunk tilt of ).

Conclusions. These findings offer empirical evidence that elite-level athletes possess a mature level of movement automation without bilateral functional asymmetry. The numerical formulation of joint angles in this study can be implicated as a kinematic blueprint for coaching programs to optimize performance and prevent asymmetrical injuries (low back pain) in junior sailors.