††††Originally yachts were made from wooden planks or waterproof plywood. They had a wooden mast. Today, the hulls of many yachts are made from glass-reinforced plastic while the mast is made of aluminium. Both of these materials are lighter and stronger than the traditional timber. The smallest sailing boats are one-person crafts, or dinghies, but ocean-going racing yachts have a crew of 20 or more.
Modern sailing boats do not need the wind behind them to move - they can travel in almost any direction. In the same way that air rushing over the wings of an aeroplane produces an upward force called lift, wind moving past a sail produces a force at right angles to the sail. Adjusting the sail makes the boat move in different directions.
A relatively recent form of sailing is wind surfing. It is really a cross between dinghy sailing and surfing. It has become very popular since it was invented about 25 years ago.
