What kind of power do sailboats use?

Sailboats use wind power. Their sails capture moving air and convert its energy into a force that drives the boat through the water.

A sail works partly like an airplane wing: when angled correctly, air flowing around it creates lift. The keel or centerboard resists sideways motion, helping turn that force into forward movement. When sailing directly downwind, the sail relies more on drag, similar to a parachute.

Sailboats cannot travel directly into the wind. To move toward an upwind destination, sailors tack from side to side, usually sailing at roughly 45 degrees to the wind. The wind felt aboard a moving boat is called apparent wind, combining the actual wind with the boat’s own motion.

Some modern sailboats also carry gasoline or diesel engines for docking, calm conditions, or emergencies, but those are auxiliary systems. The defining power source of a sailboat is wind acting on its sails.