Abstract: The present invention provides a method of automatically controlling a sailboat having at least two soft sails, including the steps of sensing the wind direction to determine an angle of sail in each of the sails, sensing tensions and/or vibrations in each of the sails to adjust the curvature of that sail, and sensing the wind velocity to take in the sails. The present invention also provides an apparatus of automatically controlling a sailboat having at least two soft sails, including a wind direction sensor, a sail angle adjusting device connected with each of the sails and responsive to the output of the wind direction sensor to adjust an angle of sail in the sail, a sail angle sensor for identifying the adjusted angle of sail, a tension and vibration sensor connected with a sheet of each of the sails, and a curvature adjusting device responsive to the output of the tension and vibration sensor to adjust the curvature of the sail.