First edition of this important naval engineering treatise in which the author proposes a new sails system to make the most of the winds and new shipbuilding solutions. It was precisely the remarkable success achieved by the book that encouraged the election to the Royal Academy of Sciences. Pierre-Alexandre-Laurent Forfait (Rouen 1752 - 1807) was an engineer, hydrographer, politician and minister of the French navy. In 1789 he was appointed Director of the Port of Le Havre service, where he improved the design of the sailing ships. Returning to shipbuilding after the French Revolution, he designed the 38-gun frigate Seine , the corvettes, a lugger. & Nbsp; For the French campaign in Egypt and Syria, he was in charge of preparing frigates, warships, ships of the line. He was Prime Minister of Napoleon's Navy and in 1805 became the Maritime Prefect of Genoa, successfully launching the -74 Genois cannons - & nbsp;