"Joe" wrote in message
ps.com...
I think you may be overlooking the dhow with it's lateen rigs from
some 2000 years ago.

The ones sailing the Nile?

Joe

No, they are not dhows but are calle djaishers (?spelling). They have very
high sailplans to catch the wind above the Nile's banks.
Dhows are the ones sailing the trade route from the Persian Gulf to East
Africa and back. They did not go to windward but waited until the monsoon
changed around to give them a fair wind where they wanted to go. They were,
and are, fast on a reach , but not much good to windward.