<P> A caravel (Portuguese: caravela, IPA: (kɐɾɐˈvɛlɐ)) is a small, highly maneuverable sailing ship developed in the 15th century by the Portuguese to explore along the West African coast and into the Atlantic Ocean . The lateen sails gave it speed and the capacity for sailing windward (beating). Caravels were used by the Portuguese for the oceanic exploration voyages during the 15th and 16th centuries in the Age of Discovery . Prince Henry, Vasco da Gama, Christopher Columbus, and Bartolomeu Dias all used caravels . </P> <P> Until the 15th century, Europeans were limited to coastal navigation using the barge or the balinger (barinel), ancient cargo vessels of the Mediterranean Sea with a capacity of around 50 to 200 tons . These boats were fragile, with only one mast with a fixed square sail that could not overcome the navigational difficulties of southward oceanic exploration, as the strong winds, shoals and strong ocean currents easily overwhelmed their abilities . </P>

Who invented the caravel or the first ship to be able to sail against the wind