page_title: Lateen
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Lateen / History
context_page_description: A lateen or latin-rig is a triangular sail set on a long yard mounted at an angle on the mast. It runs in a fore-and-aft direction.
  Dating back to Roman navigation, the lateen became the favorite sail of the Age of Discovery. This was mainly because it allowed a boat to tack "against the wind". It is common in the Mediterranean, the upper Nile River, and the northwestern parts of the Indian Ocean. It is the standard rig for feluccas and dhows. Another form is used on small recreational boats like the Sailfish and Sunfish.
context_section_description: In ancient history the square sail was used in the Mediterranean. It was used on seagoing ships of the Phoenicians, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. In Northern Europe at this time, they only used the square sail. This was even after the ships in the Mediterranean were using the triangular lateen sails.
  The 15th and 16th century caravel was a favorite type of ship used in the Portuguese and Spanish voyages of discovery. In addition to their distinctive single sterncastle, they carried lateen sails. During this time the caravel developed into a very fast and highly maneuverable ship. Two of Christopher Columbus's ships, the Niña and the Pinta were caravels. He repeatedly praised the Niña as his fastest and favorite ship.
caption: Columbus's caravel the Niña
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