Henry The Navigator was funding voyages long before Columbus started his journey in 1492, and was among the first who allowed his sailors to sail on the open sea and use the wind to navigate his journey.
Explanation:
Although Prince Henry didn't sent his sailors to far from the coast, still he was among the first ones who allowed them to start a large journeys on the Atlantic Ocean. Of course, they started these journeys because they started using technological improvements that were later used by most of the explorers.
