How and where did sailing originate?

Answer 1

The art and science of sailing probably began on the Nile river with the Phoenicians, who pre-dated the Egyptians. Local people used the river for transport. Noticing the wind most often blew in reverse direction of the current, it became useful to drift downstream and spread fabric above a vessel to be blown back upstream with little or no human effort involved. As time and technology progressed, sailing evolved through numerous phases until today, and is still evolving.