Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsailsor kites—to propel a craft on the surface of

the water(sailing ship, sailboat, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ice (iceboat) or on land (land yacht) over a
chosen course, which is often part of a larger plan of navigation.

A course defined with respect to the true wind direction is called a point of sail.

Conventional sailing craft cannot derive power from sails on a point of sail that is too close into the wind.
On a given point of sail, the sailor adjusts the alignment of each sail with respect to the apparent
wind direction (as perceived on the craft) to mobilize the power of the wind. The forces transmitted via
the sails are resisted by forces from the hull, keel, and rudder of a sailing craft, by forces from skate
runners of an iceboat, or by forces from wheels of a land sailing craft to allow steering the course.

In the 21st century, most sailing represents a form of recreation or sport. Recreational
sailing or yachtingcan be divided into racing and cruising. Cruising can include extended offshore and
ocean-crossing trips, coastal sailing within sight of land, and daysailing.

Until the mid of the 19th century, sailing ships were the primary means for marine commerce, this
period is known as Age of Sail.

A sailing craft's ability to derive power from the wind depends on the point of sail it is on—the direction
of travel under sail in relation to the true wind direction over the surface. The principal points of sail
roughly correspond to 45° segments of a circle, starting with 0° directly into the wind. For many sailing
craft 45° on either side of the wind is a "no-go" zone,[16] where a sail is unable to mobilize power from
the wind.[6]Sailing on a course as close to the wind as possible—approximately 45°—is termed "close-
hauled". At 90° off the wind, a craft is on a "beam reach". At 135° off the wind, a craft is on a "broad
reach". At 180° off the wind (sailing in the same direction as the wind), a craft is "running downwind".

In points of sail that range from close-hauled to a broad reach, sails act substantially like a wing, with lift
predominantly propelling the craft. In points of sail from a broad reach to down wind, sails act
substantially like a parachute, with drag predominantly propelling the craft. For craft with little forward
resistance ice boats and land yachts, this transition occurs further off the wind than
for sailboats and sailing ships.[6]

Wind direction for points of sail always refers to the true wind—the wind felt by a stationary observer.
The apparent wind—the wind felt by an observer on a moving sailing craft—determines the motive
powerfor sailing craft.

A sailboat on three points of sail

The waves give an indication of the true winddirection. The pennant (Canadian flag) gives an indication
of apparent wind direction.

Close-hauled: the pennant is streaming backwards, the sails are sheeted in tightly.

Reaching: the pennant is streaming slightly to the side as the sails are sheeted to align with the apparent
wind.

Running: the wind is coming from behind the vessel; the sails are "wing and wing" to be at right angles
to the apparent wind.

Effect on apparent windEdit

Main article: Forces on sails § Effect of points of sail on forces

True wind velocity (VT) combines with the sailing craft's velocity (VB) to be the apparent wind
velocity(VA), the air velocity experienced by instrumentation or crew on a moving sailing craft. Apparent
wind velocity provides the motive power for the sails on any given point of sail. It varies from being the
true wind velocity of a stopped craft in irons in the no-go zone to being faster than the true wind speed
as the sailing craft's velocity adds to the true windspeed on a reach, to diminishing towards zero, as a
sailing craft sails dead downwind.[5]

Effect of apparent wind on sailing craft at three points of sail

Sailing craft A is close-hauled. Sailing craft B is on a beam reach. Sailing craft C is on a broad reach.

Boat velocity (in black) generates an equal and opposite apparent wind component (not shown), which
adds to the true wind to become apparent wind.

Apparent wind and forces on a sailboat.

As the boat sails further from the wind, the apparent wind becomes smaller and the lateral component
becomes less; boat speed is highest on the beam reach.

Apparent wind on an iceboat.

As the iceboat sails further from the wind, the apparent wind increases slightly and the boat speed is
highest on the broad reach. The sail is sheeted in for all three points of sail.[6]

The speed of sailboats through the water is limited by the resistance that results from hull drag in the
water. Ice boats typically have the least resistance to forward motion of any sailing craft.
[6] Consequently, a sailboat experiences a wider range of apparent wind angles than does an ice boat,
whose speed is typically great enough to have the apparent wind coming from a few degrees to one side
of its course, necessitating sailing with the sail sheeted in for most points of sail. On conventional sail
boats, the sails are set to create lift for those points of sail where it's possible to align the leading edge of
the sail with the apparent wind.[5]

For a sailboat, point of sail affects lateral force significantly. The higher the boat points to the wind under
sail, the stronger the lateral force, which requires resistance from a keel or other underwater foils,
including daggerboard, centerboard, skeg and rudder. Lateral force also induces heeling in a sailboat,
which requires resistance by weight of ballast from the crew or the boat itself and by the shape of the
boat, especially with a catamaran. As the boat points off the wind, lateral force and the forces required
to resist it become less important.[17]On ice boats, lateral forces are countered by the lateral resistance
of the blades on ice and their distance apart, which generally prevents heeling.[18]