The sailing it is art, for a Voilier, to move thanks to the energy provided by the wind.

The sailing ships, lasting of many centuries, played an important role in transport, the trade and the control of the wars. With end of 19th century they have be gradually replaced by motor ships, which was less dependant on the weather conditions, which reduced times of transport, and required less personnel thus allowing a considerable reduction in the costs of transport

Today, in the developed countries, the sailing ships are practically exclusively dedicated to the activities of leisure and the sporting events, although the navy of trade and war continues to use them to ensure the training of the crews. Elsewhere, in areas of the world less developed, the sailing ships still kept a role in the economy: thus in the Persian Gulf there exist still sailing ships (Dau) which continue to traverse the sea routes towards Africa and Asia as they did it already several centuries ago.

With the wire of time the sailing ships diversified in many types and in very variable faces; one can nevertheless gather them in two main categories: quillards (in general of the heavy boats and big size) and the center-boards (generally small, light and fast boats). The size of these boats goes from the small skiff able to transport only one person to the sailing ship requiring a crew comprising several tens of men to operate its veils. For the control of these various types of ships of many operations were developed which are carried today to their perfection within the framework of regattas. The control of the sailing ships also requires to know some of the characteristics of construction of these boats as well as the physical forces concerned. In all the areas of the world and whatever the size of the ships, the practice of navigation requires to know the various regulations and conventions in force in the navy.

History

Antiquity

The first known representation of a comprising boat of the veils was found with Louxor on a funeral urn going back to 5000 av. J. - C. the Egyptians used boats equipped with a Mât and large a square veil primarily to circulate on the the Nile but also to move in the Mediterranean and Red Sea. The sail could be directed making it possible the ship to advance with winds blowing by through.

Towards 3000 av. J. - C. was developed in southernmost China Sea the Pirog with beam which was used to colonize the Polynésie. The later developments of these Multihull S such as for example the Prao S and the Dugout S, today are always used in the Régate S or like boats of transport.

The Phénicien S and the Greeks developed from 1000 before J. - C. two types of ships intended for navigation in open sea: a tradind ship comprising a corpulent hull and a large square sail and the galère which used for the crossed longes an intermediate sail of size assembled on a chechmate to which the oar subsituait for the naval battles or in the calm dishes.

During following centuries the sailing ships were used to carry out many explorations and to carry out conquests. The historian Hérodote reports for example that the Pharaon Nékao II organized a forwarding around the Africa in the direction of the needles of a watch led by sailors phenicians between 596 and 594 av. J. - C. the Greek geographer Scylax de Caryandie undertaken into 508 before J. - C. a voyage of exploration which led it mouth of the Indus until the Persian Gulf then around the Arabic Péninsule until in Red Sea and in Egypt. In 470 before J. - C. the Carthaginian conqueror and admiral Hanno set sail towards the west passed the Straits of Gibraltar then skirted the dimension of the west of Africa until the Golfe of Guinea. The account of its tour was found in a manuscript of the Codex Palatinus Graecu. The Greek navigator Eudoxe de Cyzique undertook between 120 and 117 av. J. - C. a voyage of exploration towards India and recognized the importance of the winds of Mousson in navigation on the Indian Ocean.

The Romans also used with the turning of the millenium of the galères and the sailing ships with business ends and soldiers. One of the most important innovations of this period is that of the Beaupré which belongs to the Gréement. With the extension of the trade of the goods coming from the East between Syria and Italy, the attacks of the pirates on the ships of goods strongly increased. In 102 before J. - C. the damage made by the pirates crétois and of Cilicie became so important that Rome decided to take counter-measurements. The rhetor Marcus Antonius the Old one carried out a forwarding against the pirates cilicians with a mitigated success. The Roman fleet at all times played only one minor role compared to the terrestrial armies.

The time of the Vikings

Saxon and Angles originating in the North Sea, which trained the people of the Anglo-Saxons which invade the England towards the end of the Roman Empire, used lengthened boats comprising a chechmate and a square sail. The Vikings improved this type of boat between 6th and the 8th century. and reflect at the point a one gréement very functional: associated with a lengthened hull it made it possible the boats Viking to reach a speed of 20 knots.

The Middle Ages: trade and exploration

Modern time: fight for supremacy on the seas

The 19th century: golden age and decline of the sailing ships

Modern times: the emergence of the pleasure

Anatomy of a sailing ship

Various plans of aerofoil]] Whatever its size, a sailing ship consists of three parts: one or more hull S, the Aerofoil and the Gréement.

The hull can be in Acier, Aluminum, in Glass fiber, Béton or Bois. The sailing ships made up of one only hull are also indicated under the name of Monocoque in opposition to the Prao S, Catamaran S, and Trimaran S which comprises, 2 to 3 interdependent hulls between them and which are gathered under the name of Multicoque S. the hull generally comprises a Quille or a Dérive. This appendix makes it possible to reduce the lodging ship when the wind blows on side.

One generally distinguishes two families from plan of aerofoil: square sails and axial veils. the square sails are generally rectangular veils, which one typically finds on the old sailing ships. The plan of the veil is perpendicular to the axis of the boat; this type of aerofoil is particularly adapted to the bearing paces on the other hand it is practically completely ineffective, to go up against the wind. Also this type of aerofoil it is used practically more only on the traditional sailing ships.

The axial veils used on the modern sailing ships have their plan located in the axis of the sailing ship: they make it possible to go up effectively against the wind. There exist different sub-type from aerofoil attached to this category: Lateen sail, Veil with the third, Fore-and-aft sail, Veil bermudienne.

The Spinnaker, a sail of big size of form digs and often very coloured a category of veil with share constitutes because one can attach it neither to the axial veils nor with the square sails. Of triangular form it is held only by its three corners and is used only with the bearing paces.

The veils were formerly carried out in Coton. Today they are carried out in fabrics polyester and on the boats of regattas in Aramide S.

Gréement includes/understands the Mât, the Bôme as well as the standing rigging and current operations. The standing rigging, which consists of cables almost always metal, maintains the mast in place: the stay maintains the mast forwards, the Pataras backwards and the Hauban S on each side. Gréement the current gathers all the ropes which make it possible to hoist and to regulate the aerofoil: the Rope S used to hoist the veils, the listening S which are used for the spacing of the veils of the axis of the ship according to the direction of the wind. According to the type of gréement, the sailing ship has a chechmate (Sloop, Cotre) or several masts (Yawl, Ketch, Goélette,…) with each time one or more veils on each mast.

Operation of a sailing ship

Involved forces

The velic force

In each point of the veil, perpendicular to its wall, are exerted forces of high pressures relating to the wind (under-surface) and low relative pressures under the wind (suction face). The sail will be requested zones of high pressures towards the basic zones pressure.

The whole of these aerodynamic loads forms the velic force.

The hydrodynamic force

Speed and balances

To operate a sailing ship

The operation of the veils

Adjustments of the veils

Balances

The balance of any object is done by intervention of several forces like: the weight P, push of Archimedes F and the force of solid reaction support/(object). If the object is in balance it is that the sum of the forces exerted on the object is null. Thus one can conclude this relation from it: P + R + F = 0.

Navigation

Navigation by heavy weather

Velic activities

The regatta

Cruising

Regulation

Safety

License

Habits

Flags

The flags are very important for the sailing. Each flags personnel of boat is called house (or payo). On each boat quite bearing it is obligatory to have a flag representing its fatherland and respecting the national legislation of the code of the marine.

Rules of courtesy

Veil and culture

Sailing in the books and films

Songs of the navy with veil

Expressions of sailor

See also: Expressions_courantes_du_langage_marin

Other velic activities

the board with veil

The Sand yacht

The kitesurf

The snowkite

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