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The caravel (Portuguese: caravela, IPA: [kɐɾɐˈvɛlɐ]) is a small sailing ship that uses both lateen and square sails and was known for its agility and speed and its capacity for sailing windward (beating). Caravels were used by the Portuguese and Spanish for the voyages of exploration during the 15th and 16th centuries, in the Age of Discovery.