Proa

A proa is a type of outrigger sailing canoe traditionally built and sailed across parts of the Pacific Islands and maritime Southeast Asia, distinguished in many Micronesian and Pacific variants by an asymmetric hull design in which the single outrigger float is always kept on the windward side, requiring the crew to reverse which end of the vessel serves as bow and stern whenever the sailing direction changes rather than turning the whole hull through the wind. Built for speed and long-distance ocean voyaging rather than cargo capacity, proas were noted by early European explorers for remarkable sailing speed relative to their light construction, and traditional proa designs remain associated with the long-distance navigational traditions of Pacific island societies.