The Average Area of Sailboat Sails

Sails on sailboats are one of the main factors in how well the boat handles on the water. In terms of the actual surface area of the sails, the area can be figured according to waterline length or displacement figures.

  1. Factors that Determine How Large a Sail Should Be

    • According to the "McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms", the ideal size for a sail is affected by the stability of the hull and ballast, the waterline length and displacement (the amount of water the hull displaces when in the water.)

    Calculate the Area of a Sail

    • To figure out the area of a sail, multiply the waterline length by itself and multiply that figure by 75 percent; the answer will be the ideal area of the sail in square feet. For a 30 foot waterline length, the sail area should be around 675 square feet. For a 50 footer, 1,875 square feet works.

    Figuring Sail Area by Displacement

    • The area of a sail affects performance.

      Another way to figure sail area is by water displacement. For every 1,000 pounds of displacement the boat has, it is ideal to have 42.5 square feet of sail. For a 10,000 pound displacement sailboat, the sail is optimum at 425 square feet. With 25,000 pounds of displacement, a 1,063 square foot sail is fitting.