As promised I am about to let you know what this actually is. A lateen sail is simply a triangular shaped sail that is attached to a long yard and is rigged in a fore and aft configuration. Got it? It really is simple, so take a look at the picture.

Lateen comes from the phrase a la trina, meaning simply triangular. The origins of this sail date back to the 4th century BC around the Arabian Peninsula. During the 3rd century CE the Roman lateen rigged ships became dominate. This style was dominate in the Mediterranean and even replaced the square rigged ships of the Byzantine Empire in the 6th century CE.

This form of sail is still in use today, but it is mostly associated with small sailing craft. The lateen sail was sued mostly in the relatively sheltered waters of the Mediterranean Sea, Indian Ocean, and their subsidiary seas. The sail eventually caught on with Northern European nations around the 14th century. This came about when merchant ships were strong enough to sail out of the maters of the Med and into the Atlantic.

The lateen sail allows the ship more freedom of movement than does a square rigged sail. The lateen can move to catch the wind in a more effective manner. This also allows the ship more maneuvering while in restricted areas, such a sports and straights. Because of this most large sailing ships would sport one or more small lateen sails to allow then freedom of movement in these areas.