A sailing boat or sailboat which is
propelled/driven by its sails, either entirely or partly. Sailing boats can be
large or small, and can be distinguished by the hull configurations which are
tri-maran, monohull and catamaran. Sailboats also have varying types of keel,
centreboard, full, wing, and these will differ for the purpose the sailboat is
used for, i.e. , racing, cruising etc. The most commonly seen sailboat is the
sloop which uses two sails and only one mast. This system of sails is extremely
effective when sailing into the wind. The mainsail is fixed to the mast and the
boom. The boom is a spar which swings across the boat, depending on wind
direction. Some sloops carry two foresails, but this is not commonly seen. Other
names for sailboats are cutters, catboats, dinghy, dhoni, and schooner to name
just some.
