Sailing relies on the wind acting on the sail to push the ship forward. Sailing originated from the water transportation of ancient people living by the river or sea. Modern sailing began in the Holland. In 1870, the United States and Britain held the America's Cup sailing race across the Atlantic for the first time. It was listed as the event of the first Olympic Games in 1896 and was not held due to bad weather. It was listed as an Olympic event again in 1900. Originally a mixed event for men and women, it has been divided between men and women since the 1988 Olympic Games.

The history of sailing ships can be traced back to ancient times. Sailing is a witness of mankind's struggle against nature. The history of sailing is as long as the history of human civilization. The earliest written records of sailing as a race were found in the works of the ancient Roman poet Virgil more than 1900 years ago. In the 13th century, Venice began to hold sailing competitions regularly. At that time, there was no unified specification or grade of racing ships.

Sailing races originated in Holland. In ancient Holland, the terrain was very low, so many canals were dug, and small sailboats were widely used for transportation or fishing. This kind of boat is made of a single tree or bamboo raft. It is the earliest sailing boat in the world. In 1662, the king of England held a sailing race between Britain and the Holland. The race route was from Greenwich to Greussander and then back to Greenwich. This is an early large-scale sailing race.