Final answer:
Europeans owed much of their sailing technology to other peoples, such as the lateen sail invented by Arab sailors and the sternpost rudder and magnetic compass invented by the Chinese. These inventions enabled Europeans to navigate confidently in any direction and explore the open ocean during the Age of Exploration.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the Age of Exploration in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Europeans owed much of their sailing technology to other peoples. Arab sailors in the Middle East invented the lateen sail, a triangular sail that allowed ships to travel against the wind.
The Chinese invention of the sternpost rudder and the magnetic compass also greatly influenced European sailing technology. These advancements in sail design and navigation enabled Europeans to sail confidently in any direction and explore the open ocean, rather than relying on coastal navigation.