Sailing is an exciting water sport. The thrill of sailing a boat in a fresh breeze attracts thousands of sailors to seashores, lakes, and rivers all over the world. They take to the water in sailboats that range in size from tiny dinghies to large yachts that can cross an ocean.
Many people enjoy racing their boats against other craft. For some, sailing brings the pleasure of leisurely hours on the water. Many people also love the challenge that sailing offers to their skill as sailors.
For hundreds of years, all great navies and merchant fleets of the world consisted of sailing vessels. Tall-masted ships with huge, billowing canvas sails traveled to all parts of the world. By the early 1900's, however, steamships had almost completely replaced sailing vessels for military and commercial purposes (see Ship [Sailing ships in the 1900's]). The development of sailing as a sport began when sailing ships declined in commercial importance.
Professional boatbuilders make most pleasure sailboats. For a number of years, many boats had hulls made of wooden planking fastened over frames. But newer materials, such as steel, fiberglass, and aluminum, are now used. However, some amateurs build small wooden sailboats at home. The parts are sometimes supplied in a kit, and the builder simply fits them together. This is an especially popular way of building small boats called prams. Most prams are about 8 feet (2.4 meters) long and have blunt ends similar to the baby carriages known as prams. They are the smallest practical sailboats and are good for new sailors learning sailing fundamentals.
