Sport has become obsessed with data, using it to gain the fine margins on which success rests. However, it is new to dinghy class sailing, and the Dutch team at the Paris Olympics is taking a data-driven approach in its quest for medals.

Annemiek Bekkering is now retired from competitive sailing. She sailed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and again in Tokyo 2020, where she won a bronze medal in the women’s 49er FX. Her career spanned two decades, competing in multiple elite sailing events and rapidly establishing herself as a leading light in the Dutch sailing scene. Yet, in spite of complete dedication to sailing, and maximising her training opportunities and potential, there was a gap, a hole that, if filled, she knew would further enhance her performance and unlock greater success.

Bekkering says: “I spent many hours on the water, practising and improving my skills. But when I was off the water, there was little that I could do apart from improve my fitness. If I’m not...