The very first sailing ships (to be described in this article) appeared more than three thousand years ago in Egypt and were an ordinary raft with a straight mast and steering oar. A little later, the Phoenicians began to make more advanced models. For their construction, they used Lebanese cedar and oak wood. In the ports of Phenicia there were shipyards that produced merchant single-mast boats and more equipped warships. Around the V century. BC e. The ancient Greeks and Romans already had a navy. However, large sailing vessels appeared in Europe during the period of great geographical discoveries. It was then that the most powerful European powers in search of new colonies began to equip sea flotillas for travel not only across the ocean, but also around the world. Thus began a stubborn struggle for supremacy at sea, which contributed to the active development of the shipbuilding industry.
Sailing ships in the modern world
Nowadays, when the military fleet consists of powerful ships equipped with the first technology, sailing models began to be used mainly for entertainment. Most of the modern sailboats are yachts. In Europe and America, where there are sports yacht clubs, sport regattas are held annually. Most often, sailing yachts take part in such events .
A regatta is a water competition between sailing or rowing vessels.
Traditionally, such competitions are held in America and England. Some regattas are major international competitions, such as. "America's Cup."
The classification of sailing ships is determined by equipment and technical specifications. Below are the main types of varieties of sailboats.
Sail Classification
• Ships with direct sails.
• Ships with slanting sails.
The direct sail was used by the ancient Egyptians and Phoenicians. It is a canvas in the form of a trapezoid, attached to a horizontal bar. Ships with direct sails go well only with a fair wind, so they were quickly replaced with ships with slanting sails.
The oblique sail is located on the rear side of the mast, to which it is attached with its leading edge. Vessels with slanting sails run perfectly both in fair wind and in a course that is sharp to the wind. Oblique sails, in turn, are divided into:
• Latin.
• Hafel sails.
• Jibs and staysail.
Mast classification
• Single mast sailing yachts.
• Double mast yachts.
• Multi mast yachts.
A mast is part of sailing weapons. It is a vertical ship structure, which is usually supported by special extensions. Masts were made mainly of coniferous wood.
Masts in the modern world
On large modern ships that do not have sailing equipment, masts have lost their primary function and are used for other purposes:
• To bear the national attributes of your country (flag and coat of arms).
• To carry identification marks about the current state of the vessel (quarantine on board, fire on board, training alert, etc.).
• For installing various lighting signal signs.
• To install some audible warning devices.
• In order to pay tribute to the state in whose waters the ship is currently located. The mast sets the national flag of this country.
• If there is a deceased on board, the state flag is lowered as a sign of mourning and a tribute to his memory.
Types of Masts
• foremast. This is the very first mast, if you count from the bow of the vessel.
• Mainmast. It is the second construction of a similar type from the bow of the ship. On two-three-masted vessels, it is also the highest.
• Mizan mast. Aft mast, which on any ship is the latest from the bow.
What types of water vehicles are there?
Classification of sailboats by type of hull:
• Wooden.
• Plastic.
• Steel.
Classification of sailing ships by the number of hulls:
• Single hull
• Double hull (sailing catamarans)
• Three-hull (sail trimarans).
And finally, the classification of sailing vessels depending on the use of the keel:
• Keel yachts (on such vessels use a heavy keel, this can significantly reduce the drift of the vessel and reduce the center of gravity).
• Dinghy boats (a special dagger is installed on such yachts; if necessary, it can be raised and the draft of the vessel can be reduced).
• Yachts-compromises (they use intermediate structural solutions between dinghies and keel structures).
Variety of ships
The names of sailing ships should be listed.
Aak is a small single mast flat-bottom vessel designed to carry small loads.
Bark is a large ship with three to five masts. The ship is mainly equipped with direct sails, only one bow is fixed to the aft mast.
Barkentina - a marine three-five-mast sailboat. Most masts are equipped with slanting sails. Only the bow design has a direct sail.
Brig is a two-masted ship that has direct sailing equipment on the main mast and fore mast and a slanting hawfed sail on the mainsail.
The brigantine is a light two-masted ship with oblique sails on the main mast and direct sails on the fore mast, this type of sailing weaponry is called mixed.
Galleon is a large multi-deck marine vessel with powerful artillery weapons. Galleons were intended for long sea voyages and battles. Such sailing ships were quite fast and maneuverable and made up the bulk of the Spanish and English fleet.
Dzhonka - a wooden two-four-masted vessel, which was used mainly in Southeast Asia and was intended for river or coastal sea cargo transportation.
Iol is a two-masted vessel with slanting sails and the position of the aft mast behind the rudder axis.
Caravel is a three-four-masted ship with mixed sailing weapons, intended for sea navigation and significant freight traffic.
Galley - this is the name of almost all sailing-rowing vessels, they were used in antiquity. In addition to sailing weapons, they had one or two rowing rows.
Karakka is a large three-masted vessel used for trade and military purposes. The ship could have up to three decks and had impressive cannon armament.
Katch is a small two-masted ship. It differs by the position of the aft mast in front of the steering axis.
The frigate is a military three-masted aircraft with full sailing weapons. The classic frigate was created in France in the mid-eighteenth century and was a light maneuverable vessel with good armament.
Flute is a good marine sailing vessel designed for military transport purposes. Due to the fact that the length of this vessel was several times its width, the flute could walk quite steeply to the wind, and this gave it a significant advantage over other, less maneuverable vessels.
Sloop is a three-masted military ship sailing under direct sails. Used as a patrol and vehicle.
Schooner is a light sailing vessel that had at least two masts with slanting sails. Schooners are very convenient to drive. They were mainly used for various trading operations.
Yacht
Initially, sailing yachts were fast and light ships used to transport high-ranking officials. Subsequently, any sailing-motor, motor, or simply sailing vessel intended for tourist or sports purposes began to be called a yacht.
The first yachts appeared in the eighteenth century. They were fast enough and comfortable, which is why rich people preferred this type of sea transport. Modern sailing yachts have an outboard motor, which makes it easy to maneuver in the port and sail at a low speed even during full calm. They are divided into cruising (there is a cabin on board), pleasure and racing.
Buy at the store
Today, many historical sailboats no longer exist and remained only on the pages of adventure novels and in pictures in magazines and books. But do not be very upset. In the store you can buy models of sailing ships designed for thematic decor. There are also special kits and manuals for assembling sailing ships with your own hands. It is worth noting that collecting ship models is a very entertaining hobby that is gaining momentum in Russia.
The most famous and legendary sailing ships, photos and models of which are popular:
The Endeavor Barque is the famous ship of James Cook, on which he sailed to the then unknown shores of Australia and New Zealand.
Neva and Nadezhda are two sloops that have circumnavigated the world for the first time in Russian history.
"Prince" is an English frigate that sank in 1854 in the Black Sea after a catastrophic storm. He gained popularity thanks to rumors of sunken treasures that he was transporting.
"Mary Rose" - the flagship military of the English king Henry the eighth, who tragically sank in 1545.
Great Republic is the largest nineteenth century clipper built by renowned shipbuilder Donald Mackay.
Ariel is a British clipper who became famous due to the fact that in 1866 he won the famous “tea race” from China to London.
"Adventure" is the ship of one of the most famous pirates - Captain William Kidd.
Conclusion
The era of sailing ships was a truly exciting time of adventure and romance. Sailing ships participated in numerous naval battles, sailed to uncharted shores and transported priceless treasures, which are associated with a great many legends. A huge number of literary works are devoted to ships of this type. Based on historical events and mystical stories involving sailing models, many famous adventure films have been shot.