<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>
who invented the caravel or the first ship to be able to sail against the wind
the Portuguese