The lateen is believed to have been used in the eastern Mediterranean as early as the 2nd century ce, possibly imported from Egypt or the Persian Gulf.

Who invented the triangle sail?

Lateen sails were developed by the Arabs, then adopted in the eastern Mediterranean. Because they were used in the Mediterranean, northern sailors gave them the name "lateen" from "Latin." A lateen sail is a triangular piece of cloth.

Why are triangular sails better?

It was observed that these triangular sails allowed for navigation using a half wind (wind at 90 degrees to the boat), which further increased the ship's maneuvering ability ' particularly in port, where ships previously were 'dead in the water' without a favorable wind.