A sailboat is a craft that uses the force of the wind to propel it across a body of water. Sailboats come in all shapes and sizes from the diminutive day-sailer or dinghy to multi-million dollar yachts. Despite their wide range of size and design, all sailboats are powered by the same fundamental laws of physics. Sailing is a challenging yet rewarding sport that requires skill and knowledge.
A large part of sailing involves the use of a system of levers called the tiller and rudder. These levers allow the helmsman (sailor responsible for steering) to turn the boat by pushing on the tiller in the direction they want to go. The rudder is an airfoil-shaped board attached to the stern (rear) of the boat where it is immersed in the water. The rudder’s shape creates a pressure differential which steers the stern of the boat into the lower-pressure zone. This, in turn, directs the bow of the boat into the opposite direction.
In order to maximize speed, the shape of sails and keels have been refined over time. The slender shape of modern sails reduces drag and increases speed capabilities. The hulls have also been redesigned to reduce pull in the water, while still maintaining stability and buoyancy.
The first sailboats were built by primitive man as a means of traveling longer distances to find new food sources and safer places for settlement. The main obstacles they faced were being blown sideways in the wind and the potential for capsizing. To address this, they developed the keel, which serves two functions: 1) to keep the boat from being blown sideways in the wind and 2) to hold the ballast, a weight traditionally located at the bottom of the keel that keeps the boat right-side up.
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