which european country was the leader in developing and applying 15th century sailing innovations?

The European country that was the leader in developing and applying 15th- century sailing innovations was Portugal. Portugal played a pioneering role during the Age of Discovery by advancing navigation techniques, ship design (notably the caravel), and exploration methods. Portuguese explorers like Prince Henry the Navigator, Bartolomeu Dias, and Vasco da Gama were instrumental in establishing new sea routes and expanding maritime knowledge in the 15th century, which significantly contributed to European sailing innovations of that era.