Christopher Columbus sailed from Spain in three ships on his first voyage across the Atlantic in 1492. The names of the three ships were the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. The Santa Maria was the largest of the three ships and had three masts, each of which carried one large sail. The Niña was the smallest of the three ships and was the best at sailing upwind. The Pinta was the fastest of the three ships. The speed of sailing vessels varied considerably with the speed of the wind, and over several days, ships of Columbuss day would average a little less than 4 knots.