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Sailing is a sport that involves moving a boat by using the power of the wind. This sport first started in Holland, Netherlands. King Charles II brought the sport with him to England after his exile in the mid-1600s. From there, the sport spread to other parts of the world. Nowadays, this sport is celebrated as a recreational and social activity. Starting in 1851, large competitions have been held to showcase the best sailors in the world. The USA won the America’s Cup from 1851 to 1983.  After that, Australia, New Zealand, and Switzerland have been bringing home the crown.

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There are many boat types used for sailing, from large yachts to dinghy racing.

There are different types of races; fleet racing, team racing, and match racing. Fleet racing include at least four boats. Some of these events include hundreds of participants. Match racing includes two boats competing against each other and the fastest one wins. Team racing involves two teams which have three boats each. It’s a 3-on-3 game and it’s very similar to match racing.

Scoring systems depend on the event (Olympics or America’s Cup). The widely celebrated format for races include short course, coastal or inshore, offshore, and oceanic.

Nowadays, competitions are still held worldwide to showcase the best sailors in the world. Major events that involving sailing are the Olympics, Mug Race, and Cowes Week.

As the years go by, sailing has become very interesting. With the development of technology, boats have become more advanced. But definitely, simpler boats with backward technology have never left the scene.

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Similar Sports

• Land Sailing — racing in three-wheeled vehicles moving across land powered by wind through the use of a sail. Also known as sand yachting or land yachting.
• Ice Yachting — sail boats called ice yachts are used to race on frozen lakes and rivers
• Windsurfing — riding a modified surfboard manoeuvered using a sail on a movable mast
• Land Windsurfing — similar to traditional Windsurfing though performed on land rather than water, using a four-wheeled deck to travel across the surface. Also known as "Terrasailing", "street sailing", "land sailing" and "dirt windsurfing"
• Kite Foil Racing — kiteboard racing on boards with a hydrofoil that extends below the board into the water.
• Kitesurfing — a board and kite are used on the water utilizing different styles consisting of freeride, speed, down winders and racing.

Related Pages

• More about the sport of sailing
• Sailing at the Olympics
• Complete list of sports
• The Encyclopedia of Sports