Glossary / Sailing Terms
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Apparent wind
The perceived wind direction of a moving yacht. When the yacht goes faster, the perceived wind direction moves forward, just as the wind always seems to hit a car only from head-on as it drives at high speeds.
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Astern
Behind the boat.
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Backstay
A cable that runs from the top of the mast to the stern of the yacht; it may be adjustable in order to bend the mast backward or to increase tension on the forestay.
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Ballast
Weight in the keel of a boat to add stability (righting moment).
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Batten
Thin strips of rigid composite material inserted into pockets in the sails.
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Beam
A boat's greatest width.
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Bear away
Turn downwind.
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Beat
Sail a zigzag course to make progress into the wind.
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Berth
a) The place where you put the boat on a dock.
b) Bunk or sleeping quarters.
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Bilge
The lowest part of a boat's hull.
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Block
A pulley used for hoisting sails, etc.
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Boom
Spar (rigid pole) at the bottom edge of the sail
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Boom vang
Tackle running between the boom and the deck, which holds the boom down
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Bow
Front of the boat
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Bowman
The crew member in charge of sail changes and keeping a lookout on the bow at the start
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Broach
When a keelboat sailing on a run capsizes from a strong puff of wind or gets knocked down by a wave
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Bulb
The lead torpedo shape at the bottom of the keel
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Bulkhead
A partition to strengthen the frame of a yacht.
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Buoy
A marker used for navigation, mooring, or racing around.
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Cam cleat
A mechanical cleat used to hold a line automatically. It uses two spring-loaded cams (teeth) that come together to clamp the line, which is placed between them.
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Canting keel
Swinging or ‘canting’ the keel from one side of the hull to the other.
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Capsize
To turn upside down.
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Chainplates
The metal or composite attachments for shrouds and stays. Part of the hull, connecting the hull with the rig.
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Chart
A map of the ocean and coastline.
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Chute
A spinnaker.
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Cleat
A fitting, typically with projecting ends, that holds a line against the tension from the sails, rigging or mooring.
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Clew
The lower corner of a mainsail, jib or genoa and either lower corner of a spinnaker attached to the sheet.
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Close hauled
Sailing as near to the wind as you can.
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Cockpit
A recessed area in the deck in which the crew works.
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Code 0
A tight luff, upwind spinnaker.
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Compass
An instrument that uses the earth's magnetic field to point to the direction of the magnetic North Pole; used by navigators to determine the direction a yacht is heading and to set a course.
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Course
The direction a yacht is sailing.
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Crew
The team of sailors that sails the yacht.
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Daggerboard
Retractable board, which lifts vertically up and down below the hull to help reduce sideways drift.
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Deck
Horizontal surface or platform of a yacht.
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Delaminating
A failure of the bond between either of the hull's outer and inner skins, and the 'sandwich' spacing material in between - allowing either of the two outer layers to become unstuck from the core.
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Dismast
To lose, through breakage, all or part of the mast.
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Doldrums
Area between northern and southern hemispheres characterised by frustrating light winds, major shifts in wind direction and sudden violent squalls.
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Downwind
The point of sail when the wind blows from aft of the yacht's beam.
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EPIRB
Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon.
There are two types of beacon, one is a transmitter that all boats are required to have onboard. The second is a personal EPIRB that sailors wear so they can be located should they be washed overboard.
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Equator
Line of latitude at 0 degrees, equal distance from both poles.
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Fore
Towards the front of the boat.
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Foredeck
The area of a yacht's deck that is in front of the mast; also a crew position aboard a racing yacht.
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Foresail
Any sail used between the mast and the forestay.
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Forestay
Wire at the front of the boat helping to hold the mast up.
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Fractional rig
A rig where the headstay does not go to the top of the mast.
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Furious Fifties
An area between 50 degrees and 60 degrees latitude noted for very strong winds and huge seas.
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Galley
Kitchen.
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Gennaker
A cross between a genoa and a spinnaker, a foresail used for reaching.
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Genoa
A large foresail that overlaps the shroud base used for sailing upwind; also called a 'genny'
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Gooseneck
The mechanical device connecting the boom and the mast.
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GPS
Global Position System.
Satellite navigation, which gives yachts exact latitude and longitude position.
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Guy
A rope used to adjust the position of a spinnaker pole.
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Gybe
To change tack by turning the stern of the boat through the wind.
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Halyard
Rope used to hoist a sail.
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Head
a) Toilet/Basin/Shower.
b) The top corner of a sail that is connected to the halyard.
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Header
A wind shift during which the wind enters the boat more forward.
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Headsail
A sail flown between the mast and the bow of the yacht.
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Heel
A boat 'heels' when it leans over due to the sideways force of the wind.
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Helm
The person who steers the boat - also the tiller wheel that they steer with.
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Helmsman
The crew member who steers the yacht; usually also the skipper; also called the 'driver'.
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Hull
The body of a yacht.
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Inversion
A capsize where the boat goes completely upside down (turns turtle).
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Jib
A foresail that fits in between the forestay and the mast.
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Jury-rig
Emergency rigging with available gear, usually involves a broken mast.
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Keel
A ballasted appendage projecting below the boat that keeps it from capsizing, which also supplies the hydrodynamic lateral force that enables the boat to sail upwind.
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Kevlar
Man-made, yellow/brown aramid fibre that is used to make sails or composites for building hulls. In sails it retains its shape better and is lighter than Dacron, but is more expensive. Kevlar is the brand name from DuPont.
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Kite
A spinnaker.
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Knot
Measurement of speed.
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Latitude
LATAngular distance north or south of the equator, measured from 0 to 90 degrees north or south.
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Layline
An imaginary line projecting at an angle corresponding to the wind direction from either side of a racecourse marker buoy that defines the optimum sailing angle for a yacht to fetch the mark or the finish line. When a yacht reaches this point, it is said to be 'on the layline'. Going beyond the layline means the yacht is sailing a greater distance to reach the mark or finish line.
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Leech
Back edge of the sail.
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Leeward
Opposite side to where the wind is blowing. A leeward yacht is one that has another yacht between it and the wind (opposite of windward).
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Life Raft
An inflatable craft into which the crew of a yacht transfers if the event of a sinking.
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Lifelines
Cables which are held in place by stanchions to prevent crew members falling overboard. A 'fence' around the boat on the edge of the deck.
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Lift
A wind shift during which the wind enters the boat from further back. It allows the helmsman to head up or alter course to windward, or the crew to ease the sheets.
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Lines
Nautical term for ropes.
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Longitude
Angular distance east or west of the Greenwich Meridian, measured from 0 to 180.
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Luff
Front edge of the sail. 'Luffing' means heading the boat directly into the wind.
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Mast
The vertical spar that holds up the sails.
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Masthead Rig
A rigging scheme in which the forestay is attached near the top of the mast. See Fractional Rig.
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Match Racing
A racing format where only two yachts compete at a time, like a boxing match, as opposed to 'fleet racing' where more yachts sail at once.
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Nautical mile
The unit of geographical distance used on 'salt-water' charts. One nautical mile corresponds exactly to one minute of angular distance on the meridian (adjacent left and right side of a sea chart). This facilitates navigation as it avoids a complicated conversion from angle to distance. One nautical mile equals 1.852 kilometres. 60 minutes equal one degree.
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Navigator
The crew member who monitors the yacht's location and progress relative to the racecourse and the other yachts.
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Off the wind
Sailing away from the wind, also downwind, reaching or running.
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Peeling
Changing from one spinnaker to another.
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Pitman
Crew member who controls the halyards and mast winches and assists the mast man.
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Pole
The spinnaker pole.
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Pontoon
Floating jetty to moor your boat to.
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Port
Left hand side of the boat (facing forwards).
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Port tack
Sailing with the wind blowing onto the port side and the mainsail on the starboard side.
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Reach/Reaching
All angles against the wind that are not beating or dead downwind. A close reach has the wind forward of abeam; a beam reach is when the wind is perpendicular to the boat; and a broad reach is when the wind is aft of abeam.
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Reef
Making the sails smaller in strong winds.
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Rig
The general term used to describe a yacht's mast and sail combination.
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Rigging
The wires, lines, halyards, and other items used to attach the sails and the spars to the boat. The lines that do not have to be adjusted often are known as standing rigging. The lines that are adjusted to raise, lower, and trim the sails are known as running rigging.
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Roaring Forties
The area between 40 degrees and 50 degrees latitude noted for strong winds and large seas.
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Rudder
Appendage attached to the stern, controls the direction of the boat.
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Run/Running
Sailing away from the wind with the wind directly behind you.
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Sat-phone
A satellite telephone. Unlike cellular phones that relay on networks of local antennae, sat-phones send and receive their signals directly to and from orbiting satellites.
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Sched/sked
Each boat's six-hourly scheduled position report. From schedule, when the boats would have to radio in to compile the daily schedule.
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Screaming Sixties
Area between 60 degrees and 70 degrees latitude noted for exceptionally strong winds and huge seas and frequent icebergs.
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Sheet
A line that controls sails and adjusts their angle of attack and their trailing edge.
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Shroud
A cable or rod that supports the mast sidewise. Shrouds run from the chainplates at deck level on the port and starboard side, to the hounds just below the top of the mast.
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Southern Ocean
The ocean surrounding the Antarctic continent. The largest uninterrupted water on the earth with the most dynamic weather systems, the highest waves, and the strongest winds (apart from tropical storms).
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Spinnaker
Big lightweight balloon-shaped sail for faster sailing off the wind. Spinnakers are used when running or reaching, sailing downwind. Also called Kite or Chute.
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Spinnaker Pole
A pole that is attached to the lower front of the mast to hold one corner of a spinnaker out from the yacht.
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Squall
The sudden, short-term burst of wind with passing clouds. May be accompanied by rain.
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Stanchions
Vertical poles that stand on the outer edge of the deck to hold the lifelines.
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Starboard
Nautical term for the right half of the yacht when facing forward.
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Starboard Tack
Sailing with the wind blowing onto the starboard side, and the mainsail on the port side.
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Stay
A rod or wire that supports the mast in a fore/aft position.
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Staysail
A small sail flown between the mast and the inner forestay.
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Stern
The rear of the boat.
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Tack
a) The process of turning the bow of the yacht through the wind and changing the sides of the sails.
b) The lower corner of a sail that is attached to the yacht.
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Trade wind
Northeast and southeast winds in the Atlantic blowing continually toward the Equator. Named after the traditional trading ships, which sailed a course using these winds to their advantage.
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Transom
The flat rear end of a boat, the upper part of which tends to lean forward on modern racers.
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Trim
To adjust the sail to make it the right shape and angle to the wind.
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True wind
The actual direction of the wind. Can only be measured on board when the boat is stationary.
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Upwind
Sailing against the wind at an angle a certain yacht can achieve.
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Watch Leader/Captain
The person in charge of a watch.
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Watches
Teams within which the crew operates, taking turns to work, sleep and eat.
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Watertight Hatch
Watertight doors. In the event of a hull breach, the hatches can be closed to seal off compartments on the affected portion of the boat.
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Waypoint
A specific location as defined by GPS, the Global Positioning System.
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Winch
A device used to give a mechanical advantage when hauling on the lines.
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Winch Pedestal
An upright winch drive mechanism with two handles to increase purchasing power.
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Windward
Against the wind.
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