The sail is the set formed by the sails of a boat.
The sail is the set made up of the sails that are part of a boat . The sail constitutes, together with the mast , the rigging and other elements, the rigging of the boat: that is, what allows it to move thanks to the wind.
The wind acts directly on the sail. According to the arrangement and shape of the sails, the force of the air is transmitted by the sails to the mast , rigging and yards and the thrust reaches the hull of the boat. Thus, finally, the vehicle moves through the water .
Etymology of sail
Regarding the etymological origin of the term, we have to state that it derives from Latin, being the result of the sum of two components of said language:
- The verb velare , which can be translated as “veil” or “cover.”
- The suffix -men , used to indicate an “instrument” or a “tool” .
The sail is part of the boat's rigging.
Different types of sail
The first sails were created thousands of years before Christ . The Romans, the Egyptians and the Chinese already used sails made of different materials (cotton, leather, hemp, papyrus and others) to travel through the aquatic environment.
The sail can be made up of different types of sail. The square sail is one with a trapezoidal or rectangular appearance, which works at right angles to the course taken by the boat . The lateen sail , on the other hand, has a triangular shape and goes against the wind.
Within the square or square sails there are variants such as those of the mizzenmast, those of the foresail or those of the mainmast.
On the other hand, with regard to lateen sails, we have to state that this name also includes those whose sides are perfectly recognized. Specifically, one is called pujamen , which is the one at the bottom; another is the luff , the one on the side that is below and inside the boat; and the third, which is vertical and determines the height of the sails, is known as the leech .
We must not forget that the lateen sail has a variant, the hammer sail , which has a trapezoidal shape.
However, we cannot forget another important series of candles, among which the so-called knife candles stand out. They are also called auric and have the peculiarity that they are oriented towards the center of the vessel. Not to mention that they are attached to the stick.
Velamen in botany
It is important to mention that the notion of sail also appears in the field of botany . In this case, velamen is the name of a rhizodermis (the epidermis of the root ) that is composed, at maturity, of cells that are not alive.
Veloziaceae, Cyperaceae, orchids and Araceae are some of the plants that have a velamen, which is a type of sheath that covers the root. There are those who maintain that the sail is responsible for absorbing water , although this capacity could not yet be confirmed.