sails

     

A sail is any type of surface intened to generate thrust by being placed in a wind—in essence a vertically-oriented wing. Sails are used in sailing.

Trivia about sails

  • In her 1997 cruise, the ship made 4 knots using just 6 of these, 3 of them basketball court size
  • The Egyptians were the first known civilization to power boats using these, probably large leafy fronds on the bow
  • A "suit" is a complete set of these on a boat
  • In addition to a rudder and oars, most keelboats were equipped with these to aid travel
  • Nautical term for the canvas-covered blades of a windmill
  • Spankers, jiggers & jibs are types of these
  • The roof of the Sydney Opera House has towers that were meant to resemble these
  • (Sarah of the Clue Crew reports from the Netherlands.) The spinning blades on a windmill are called these, & they work on the same principle as those on a boat
  • (Kelly of the Clue Crew reports from the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia.) As the Opera House is located on the Harbour, it's fitting that the roof is made up of these sections, named for what they're designed to evoke

Found pages about sails