World Sailing trials 3D scanner to check equipment compliance

The scanner analyses pieces of equipment and creates a 3D model overlaid against the manufacturer specifications. Tests have already reduced the time needed to scan each foil from 15 minutes to 4 minutes – including the assessment and reporting.

The new technology was recently trialled at the 2023 iQFOiL European Championships, held in Patras, Greece, and used at the 2023 Allianz Sailing World Championships, The Hague, and Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Test event in Marseille in June, ahead of full integration for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Initially the equipment audits and scanner trials will focus on foil manufacturers of Olympic class events, iQFOiL, Nacra 17 and IKA-Formula Kite. World Sailing’s Technical and Offshore team recently visited Sonic in China, to scan Starboard’s iQFOiL foils at the production stage and demonstrate the possibility to monitor quality at production.

Starboard has also purchased a scanner to be able to check all equipment produced on their behalf.

Jaime Navarro, World Sailing’s Director of Technical and Offshore, said, “We have been working with Starboard to test this new enhanced performance equipment to inspect the equipment that the sailors are using. The machine obtains data from the actual equipment that then represents the foil itself for us to compare with the foil from the manufacturer. That allows us to see how accurately the foil that has been produced is in comparison with the tolerances we have agreed with the manufacturer and how different the equipment used across the fleet is.”

He added, “We will be able to define tighter rules and understand the equipment sailors are using, how equipment is produced and effectively understand the equipment being used. We are at an early stage, still testing this equipment and developing the rules, but the goal is to run a quick scan and see whether it complies or not automatically without any subjective interpretation of the measures.”

“We are stepping up the levels and the ways we are doing things, and we really think it is a requirement to assure athletes that they are using equipment that is the same all across the class and that we have the proper regulatory framework to ensure a level playing field is maintained across the competition.”

The trials come as part of World Sailing’s focus on safety within the sport. Equipment failure can lead to many risks, costs to competitors and clubs, and has a direct impact on competition integrity.