Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the water, on ice or on land over a chosen course, which is often part of a larger plan of navigation. Until the middle of the 19th century, sailing ships were the primary means for marine exploration, commerce, and projection of military power; this period is known as the Age of Sail. In the 21st century, most sailing represents a form of recreation or sport. Recreational sailing or yachting can be divided into racing and cruising. Cruising can include extended offshore and ocean-crossing trips, coastal sailing within sight of land, and daysailing.
“Red Sails in the Sunset” is a song that first appeared in 1935, its music was written by Hugh Williams with lyrics by prolific songwriter Jimmy Kennedy. The song was inspired by the “red sails” of Kitty of Coleraine, a yacht Kennedy often saw off the northern coast of Ireland and by his adopted town Portstewart, a seaside resort in County Londonderry. The song was revived by Nat King Cole in 1951. It first reached the Billboard Best Seller chart in July 1951 and lasted 2 weeks on the chart, peaking at No. 24.
“Beyond the Sea” is the English-language version of the French song “La Mer” by Charles Trenet, popularised by Bobby Darin in 1959. While the French original was an ode to the sea, Jack Lawrence – who composed the English lyrics – turned it into a love song. “Beyond the Sea” has been recorded by many artists, but Bobby Darin’s version released in late 1959 is the best known by many, reaching No. 6 on the Billboard, and No. 8 in the UK, in early 1960.
Sailin’ Shoes is a track from the second studio album of the same name by the American rock band Little Feat, released in 1972. Produced by Ted Templeman, it marked a shift away from the sound of the band’s first album, to that of their subsequent one, Dixie Chicken. It also introduced the cover artwork of Noen Park to the group, and was the last album appearance of original bassist Roy Estrada.
“Sailing” is a song composed by Gavin Sutherland of the Sutherland Brothers in 1972, best known as a 1975 international hit for Rod Stewart. The album Atlantic Crossing was recorded April – June 1975 at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. The first single from the album, “Sailing” afforded Stewart an international hit notably in the UK where “Sailing” was No. 1 for four weeks in September 1975: augmented by a return to the UK chart in 1976 and – to a lesser extent – 1987, “Sailing” remains the Rod Stewart single to have the greatest success in its UK release. However, “Sailing” failed to afford Stewart a major hit in his newly adopted US homeland.
“Sail On” is a Commodores song written by Lionel Richie from their 1979 album Midnight Magic. Released as the first of three singles from the album, it was produced by both Commodores and James Anthony Carmichael. The song reached the top ten on both the US and UK music charts that same year. Richie later recorded the song with Tim McGraw for 2012’s Tuskedee.
“Sail Away” is a song by David gray. It was released as the fourth single from White Ladder in July 2001 and charted at number 26 in the UK, and number 11 on the US Billboard chart. Remixes by Rae and Christian and Biffco were also commissioned and featured on the single formats. The DVD single features live video footage taken from his concert DVD release David Gray:Live. The song is featured in the movie 15 Minutes.
