At different points of sail, a sailboat can sail at different speeds. This means that the most effective course towards a destination will most often take the form of a zig-zag pattern, planned in such a way that the boat can take advantage of heigher speeds on different points of sail.

The sailboat will typically alternate its course, going in one direction with the wind coming from either the port or starboard side, and then changing direction to get the wind blowing from the opposite side of the boat. This sailing manoeuvre is called "tacking".

A sailboat depends on the wind for propulsion. So, the wind direction plays a very important role in sailing. A sailboat wouldn't be much use if it were simply blown around by the wind. The sailboat needs to be able to control it's course. So let's take a look at some of the aspects of sailing the wind:

Sailing boats vary according to the manner in which the boats are rigged, but the basic principles of sailing are the same for all sailboats.

Because sailing relies on the wind, the direction of the boat's movement in relation to the wind (the point of sail) is very important. A "point of sail" is a sailing boat's course, in relation to the direction of the wind.

A sailboat can basically sail upwind, downwind, or across the wind. But the different points of sail are known by names such as "no-sail-zone", "head to wind", "close hauled", "reach", and "running". So, a bit of explanation of the different points of sail would be in order, wouldn't it?

When you find yourself sailing on a nice, windy day, and the folks onboard start talking about "hiking", they will most probably not be referring to walking long distances in some pretty natural terrain. When sailors go hiking, they don't go very far. In fact, they only go a little bit further than the side of the boat!

Sailors will "hike" if their sailboats "heel". "Heeling" is the lean caused by the wind's force on the sails.