Una vela es toda superficie —generalmente una pieza de tela o lámina de material plástico— utilizada para propulsar una embarcación mediante la acción del viento sobre ella. El conjunto de todas las velas de la embarcación forma el velamen, que es parte de lo que se denomina el aparejo de la embarcación.

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A sail is means for redirecting the power of the wind to propel a craft on water, ice or land. In doing so, sails mobilize lifting properties as air passes along the surface and they mobilize drag properties to the degree that air is directed at the surface. When both lift and drag are present, they function similarly to a wing in a vertical orientation. In most cases sails are supported by a mast rigidly attached to the sailing craft, however some craft employ a flexible mount for a mast. Sails also employ spars and battens to determine shape in the axis perpendicular to the mast. As a result, sails come in a variety of shapes that include both triangular and quadrilateral configurations, usually with curved edges that promote curvature of the sail. Kites that are used to propel certain sailing craft are differentiated from sails in that they are supported and controlled by lines that lead from the kite to the craft.

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