What are triangular sails called?
lateen sail, triangular sail that was of decisive importance to medieval navigation. The ancient square sail permitted sailing only before the wind; the lateen was the earliest fore-and-aft sail.
Why do boats have triangular sails?
By using a triangular sail design and centerboard (overdeveloped keel), it was possible to travel against the wind using a technique known as tacking. Tacking allows the boat to travel forward with a wind at right angles to the boat. The shape of the sail also provides forward thrust.
How do Lanteen sails work?
It is set at an angle to the wind. It works by creating a difference in air pressure between the two sides (concave and convex) of the sail. It allows the vessel to sail much “closer to the wind” (meaning it can sail at up to about 45 degrees into the wind). This made the lateen sail a very important invention.
What is a caravel boat?
caravel, a light sailing ship of the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries in Europe, much-used by the Spanish and Portuguese for long voyages. Apparently developed by the Portuguese for exploring the coast of Africa, the caravel’s chief excellence lay in its capacity for sailing to windward.
What is a sailing boat called?
yacht. noun. a large expensive boat that is used for racing or sailing.
When was the triangle sail invented?
The origin of the lateen sail has often been attributed by scholars to the Indian Ocean and its introduction into the Mediterranean traditionally ascribed to the Arab expansion of the early-7th century.
What is a Caraval?
Definition of caravel : any of several sailing ships specifically : a small 15th and 16th century ship that has broad bows, high narrow poop, and usually three masts with lateen or both square and lateen sails.
What is a battened sail?
On sailboats, a sail batten is a flexible insert in a sail, parallel to the direction of wind flow, that helps shape its qualities as an airfoil. Battens are long, thin strips of material, historically wooden but today usually fiberglass, vinyl, or carbon fiber, used to support the roach of a sail.
What is a triangular sail on a ship?
The triangular sail was affixed to a long yard or crossbar, mounted at its middle to the top of the mast and angled to extend aft far above the mast and forward down nearly to the deck. The sail, its free corner secured near the stern, was capable of taking the wind on either side, and, by enabling the vessel to tack into the wind,…
What is the mainsail on a sail called?
Typically, the mainsail is a fore-and-aft bermuda rig (triangular shaped). A jib or genoa is used for the headsail. Most sailors use additional sails for different conditions: the spinnaker (a common downwind sail), gennaker, code zero (for upwind use), and stormsail.
What is the forward edge of a sail called?
The forward edge of the sail is called the “luff”, which inspires the term “luffing”, a condition where the sail ripples because wind is crossing over the front and back side simultaneously. A cunningham may be rigged on the mainsail to control sail shape. The aft edge of a sail is called the “leech”.
What is a ship with a square rig called?
A ship mainly so rigged is called a square-rigger. The square rig is aerodynamically most efficient when running (sailing downwind). A fore-and-aft rig consists of sails that are set along the line of the keel rather than perpendicular to it.