Sailing Club
Learn to Sail — Sailing Terms and Definitions
| General Terms | |
|---|---|
| Aft | Toward the stern, or back, of the boat |
| Apparent wind | The result of wind direction modified by the boat's forward movement |
| Crew | The person (or people) who assists the helmsman by trimming the sails |
| Ease | Let out, as in "ease the sheets or sails" |
| Forward | Toward the front of the boat |
| Helmsman | The person who steers the boat |
| Knot | A measure of wind or boat speed: one nautical mile (6060.2 feet) per hour |
| Leeward | The side of the boat that the boom is on. Also, away from the wind or down-wind |
| One-design | Any boat built to conform to rules so that it is identical to all others in the same racing class |
| Port side | The left side of the boat when you're facing forward |
| Port tack | When the wind blows over the port side of the boat and the boom is on the starboard side |
| To port | To the left |
| Starboard side | The right side of the boat when you're facing forward |
| Starboard tack | When the wind blows over the starboard side of the boat and and the boom is on the port side |
| To starboard | To the right |
| Trim | Pull in, as in "trim the sails" |
| True wind | The wind strength or direction felt when the boat is stationary |
| Windward | The side of the boat opposite the side the boom is on; also, toward the wind or upwind (a "windward" boat is toward the wind from the "leeward" boat) |
| When You’re Sailing | |
| Beam reach | The point of sail at which the boat is sailing at a 90-degree angle to the wind |
| Bear off | To alter the boat's course away from the wind |
| Broad reach | The point of sail at which the boat is sailing away from the wind but not straight downwind |
| Close-hauled (or beating) |
The point of sail at which the boat is sailing as close to the wind as possible |
| Close reach | The point of sail at which the boat is sailing toward the wind but not close-hauled |
| Course | The direction you are sailing according to compass or wind angle |
| Draft | The vertical distance, or depth, measured from the waterline to the lowest point of the boat |
| Gybing | Turning the stern of the boat through the wind with the sails changing the side they fill on |
| Head-to-wind | The point at which the boat is aimed straight into the wind with the sails luffing; when you pass through head-to-wind, you are tacking |
| Head up | To alter course toward the wind |
| Heel | The angle at which a boat leans over when sailing |
| Helm | A boat's streering apparatus; also a measure of balance between hull and sails indicated by steering effort |
| In "irons" | Stuck head-to-wind with sails luffing and no steerage |
| In the lee | To leeward of a wind-blocking object, as "in the lee" of the island (for a protected anchorage) |
| Leave it to port | To pass an object on your left side |
| Leave it to starboard | To pass an object on your right side |
| Luffing | Sails flogging in the wind |
| Run | The point of sail at which the wind is directly behind the boat |
| Tacking | Turning the bow of the boat through the wind with the sails changing the side they fill on |
| Sails | |
| Genoa | A large jib that overlaps the mainsail |
| Jib | The forward sail attached to the forestay |
| Mainsail | The primary sail attached to the mast and boom; the "main" |
| Spinnaker | A large, light sail used for sailing downwind |
| Sail Controls | |
| Boomvang | Connects the boom and mast and controls the main's leech tension by preventing or permitting the boom to rise |
| Cunningham | Attaches just above the tack of the main and helps control the main's luff tension |
| Downhaul | Attaches to the boom by the mast and tightens the luff by pulling the boom down |
| Halyard | A line or wire used to raise or lower sails by connecting to the head of the sail |
| Leads | Blocks or other fittings that control the angle of a trimmed sheet |
| Outhaul | Attaches to the clew of the main and adjusts the main's foot tension |
| Sheet | A line used to trim or ease sails |