Amanda Knapp
Sails are an essential part of a boat, and they work by catching the wind. When sailing downwind, sails are trimmed (adjusted or positioned) so that the leading edge points into the wind, creating higher pressure on the windward side and lower pressure on the leeward side. This causes the sail to lift or move towards the lower-pressure side, driving the boat forward. The mast is the large, vertical pole that holds the sails up, and some boats have more than one.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| How sails work | Sails work by “catching the wind” only when the boat is sailing downwind. The rest of the time, a sail is essentially an airplane wing standing on end, and works the same way. |
| How sails move the boat | The sail “lifts,” or moves, toward the lower-pressure side causing the boat to move. This happens because the sail isn’t a flat sheet of cloth, it’s curved, like a wing and the air traveling over the topside of the curved portion travels faster than that traveling on the underside. |
| How sails are positioned | The sail’s leading edge—the luff—points into the wind, creating higher pressure on the windward side (the side facing the wind) and lower pressure on the leeward side (the side away from the wind). |
| How sails are controlled | The lines that control the sails are called sheets (aka running rigging). |
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What You'll Learn
Sails work by 'catching the wind' when sailing downwind
Sails work by catching the wind when sailing downwind. The sail is positioned on the mast, a large, vertical pole that holds the sails up. Some boats have more than one mast. When sailing downwind, the sail is trimmed, or adjusted, so that the leading edge, known as the luff, points into the wind. This creates higher pressure on the windward side (the side facing the wind) and lower pressure on the leeward side (the side away from the wind). The sail then "lifts" or moves toward the lower-pressure side, causing the boat to move. This is because the sail is curved, like a wing, and the air travelling over the topside of the curved portion travels faster than the air travelling on the underside.
The sails drive the boat forward, as they are unable to push the boat sideways or onto its side. The shape of the sailboat below the water level also helps to force the boat to go straight forward, rather than in the direction of the wind. Additionally, the keel, which is shaped like a wing and has a lot of weight, helps to stop the boat from falling over when pushed sideways by the wind.
When sailing downwind, the sheets (the lines that control the sails) are trimmed tighter so that the sails are more closely in line with the boat. This is called a close reach. The sails act like the airfoil of an airplane, with the wind pulling the boat instead of pushing it. To continue sailing downwind, the boat turns into the wind (heads up) and tightens the sheets until it can go no further.
Overall, sails work by catching the wind when sailing downwind through a combination of the sail's position, shape, and the way the wind interacts with the sail to create pressure and lift, driving the boat forward.
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The sail is curved, like a wing, and the air travels faster over the topside
Sails are held up by a mast, a large, vertical pole, and some boats have more than one mast. The sails are controlled by lines, or sheets, which are also known as running rigging.
Sails work by 'catching the wind' when the boat is sailing downwind. The sail is curved, like a wing, and the air travels faster over the topside. This creates higher pressure on the windward side (the side facing the wind) and lower pressure on the leeward side (the side away from the wind). The sail 'lifts' or moves towards the lower-pressure side, causing the boat to move. This is because the sail isn't a flat sheet of cloth.
The sails drive the boat forward, rather than pushing it sideways or onto its side. The sailboat's shape helps force the boat to go straight forward as opposed to in the direction of the wind. The keel, which is shaped like a wing, also has a lot of weight to stop the yacht from falling over when pushed sideways by the wind.
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The sail is held up by the mast, a large, vertical pole
The sails work like an airplane wing standing on end. The sail isn't a flat sheet of cloth; it's curved, like a wing. The air travelling over the topside of the curved portion travels faster than that travelling on the underside. This is why the sails are able to "catch the wind".
The sheets are the lines that control the sails. To sail into the wind, you must turn into the wind and tighten the sheets until you can go no further. The jib should never touch the spreaders on the mast.
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The sheets are the lines that control the sails
Sails work by catching the wind when the boat is sailing downwind. The rest of the time, a sail is essentially an airplane wing standing on end, and works the same way. When properly trimmed (adjusted or positioned), the sail’s leading edge—the luff—points into the wind, creating higher pressure on the windward side (the side facing the wind) and lower pressure on the leeward side (the side away from the wind). The sail “lifts,”, or moves, toward the lower-pressure side causing the boat to move. This happens because the sail isn’t a flat sheet of cloth, it’s curved, like a wing and the air traveling over the topside of the curved portion travels faster than that traveling on the underside. The sails are held up by the mast, a large, vertical pole. Some boats have more than one mast.
The rudder is how the boat is steered. It is movable so that when you turn the wheel or tiller, the rudder directs the boat in the direction you would like the boat to go.
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The rudder is how the boat is steered
The sails, meanwhile, drive the boat forward. They work by "catching the wind" when the boat is sailing downwind. The rest of the time, a sail is essentially an airplane wing standing on end, and works the same way. When properly trimmed (adjusted or positioned), the sail’s leading edge—the luff—points into the wind, creating higher pressure on the windward side (the side facing the wind) and lower pressure on the leeward side (the side away from the wind). The sail then "lifts" or moves toward the lower-pressure side, causing the boat to move.
The sails are held up by the mast, a large, vertical pole. Some boats have more than one mast. The lines that control the sails are called sheets.
To sail a boat, you will have to trim in the sheets tighter so the sails are more closely in line with the boat. This is called a close reach. Your sails are acting like the airfoil of an airplane: the wind is pulling the boat instead of pushing it.
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Frequently asked questions
The sail is held up by the mast, a large, vertical pole.
The sail works by catching the wind. When the boat is sailing downwind, the sail is adjusted or positioned to catch the wind.
The sail is attached to the mast, and controlled by the sheets (or running rigging).
The sail acts like the airfoil of an airplane, with the wind pulling the boat instead of pushing it.
