The main aim of this paper was to determine differences in sailing performance and attitude toward sailing between male and female students, but also to investigate the relationship between attitudes toward sailing and success in mastering technical sailing elements. The investigation is conducted on the sample of 131 female and 207 male students of the Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, who had no experience in sailing before the program. Students` attiitudes toward sailing were assessed by the scale of attitude toward sailing SPJ. The main criteria used for determining sailing performance is the amount of acquired knowledge, which was estimated on the basis of the rating assigned to the students to demonstrate the four elements of basic sailing techniques (reaching up wind, tacking, heading down wind and jibing) in three positions on the board (rudder, jib and mainsail). Sailing performance was evaluated by three experienced examiners. The Chrombach alphas results showed that they qualitatively assessed the same thing, making it possible to enter into further analysis the average score of all three judges on a particular element of sailing techniques. Results of descriptive statistics showed high ratings in sailing performance in both populations, as well as positive attitude toward sailing. Technique and attitude variables are condensed by factor analysis, and we get the latent structure of two areas designated by the six dimensions of attitudes and 2 dimensions of sailing techniques. All further analyzes were performed on the factor scores. The latent structure of attitudes is determined by factor of emotional component, factor of negative attitude toward sailing, factor of experiencing sailing as need, factor of affect for sailing based on personal experience, factor of experiencing sailing as recreation and factor of negative attitude based on fear of sailing, while the latent structure of sailing techniques was determined by factor of sailing performance on board positions jib and main sail and factor of sailing performance at the position of the helmsman. The relationship between attitudes toward sailing and success in mastering technical sailing elements was determined by canonical correlation analysis that have isolated an important pair of canonical dimension (p = 0.00), with a canonical correlation factor 0.35. Discrimination analysis revealed differences between female and male students in sailing performance. However, the canonical correlation of belonging to the group with the technique variables (0.14) is not particularly high and recurrence occurs in the classification matrix. Significantly greater correlation with discriminatory function has a factor of sailing performance on board positions jib and main sail - TF1 (-0.94), where significant discrimination is made between men and women, in favor of the male population. Differences between male and female students in attitude toward sailing were also established by canonical discriminant analysis. It was revealed that the students differ significantly on two dimensions of attitude toward sailing: factor of negative attitude based on fear of sailing (SF6) and factor of experiencing sailing as recreation (SF5). On the factor of negative attitude based on fear of sailing (SF6) differences are in favor of the male population, whereas on the factor of experiencing sailing as recreation (SF5) women had higher scores, indicating a more positive attitude. However, the canonical correlation of belonging to the group with the technique attitude scale (0.22) is not particularly high and recurrence occurs in the classification matrix. Finally, although the male and female students ultimately proved successful sailing performance and positive attitude towards sailing, statistically significant differences between these two populations were found. Based on the results we can conclude that the program is implemented successfully, but there is room for modifications, changing and adapting the curriculum to the characteristics of men and women, which could provide better conditions for mastering the structure of sailing. Changes would certainly positively affect the effectiveness and accelerate the process of teaching and could also increase interest in engaging in this kind of activity.