Sail Power By 1824, sailboats were very well developed. They were designed to get the most power possible out of the wind. They could sail in almost any direction except directly into the wind. Sailboats work when the wind fills a sail on a boat. The wind pushes the sail in the direction it is blowing. The keel and rudder on a boat keep the boat moving in the direction the captain chooses, even though the wind may be blowing in another direction. Below is a diagram of a sailboat sailing. The large arrow at the top of the diagram shows the direction of the wind. The boat can go in any direction except the gray area.

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