Wind can power boats with sails {sailing}|.
boat types
Sailing ships are catboat, sloop, schooner, cutter, ketch, yawl, catamaran, and trimaran.
parts
Sails use a vertical mast, horizontal bar {boom, sailboat}, diagonal spars, and rigging ropes. Under sailboats is a weighted thin wedge {keel, sailboat} to resist sideways motion and tipping, as wind strikes sail. A board in back {rudder, boat} turns right to steer left, and left to steer right, as moving water pushes rudder sideways. A straight board {tiller} or steering wheel {helm} can connect to rudder.
parts: sails
Sails can be back from mast and along boom {main sail}, in front of mast {jib}, and in front of jib to catch a downwind {spinnaker}.
course
Competitions use a course with six legs: into wind {windward leg}, across wind {reach}, downwind, and repeat. America's Cup is the most-famous sailing-race series.
tacking
To move upwind, sailboats must move at 45-degree angles, half to left and then turning {coming about} to half to right {tacking}. Performing many tacks or just one depends on possible wind force and direction changes. Going upwind tends to push boat front {prow} up, so sailors move to front, to balance weight.
reaching
Going across wind {reaching} tends to tilt the boat over, so sailors move to upwind side.
running
Going downwind {running, sailing} tends to push boat front down into water, so sailors move to back.
sail
Sail trailing edge resists wind. Pulling sails tighter {trimming} reduces drag force. People can pull a sail tight to wind {reefing} or lower a sail {furling}.
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Date Modified: 2022.0224