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BASIC SAILING TERMINOLOGY
ABEAM - At right angles to the boat’s amidships.
AFT - Toward the stern (rear) of the boat.
BACKSTAY- A support wire that runs from the stern to the head of the mast.
BALLAST - Weight in the lower portion of the boat to provide stability.
BATTONS - Thin, flexible strips of plastic to stiffen the leach (aft) portion of a sail.
BEAT - To sail to windward (Same as close hauled).
BOOM - The horizontal spar to which the sail is attached. (See Jib Boom).
BOOM VANG - The system used to adjust the main boom’s vertical position.
BOW - The front end of the boat.
BUOY - An anchored float to indicate a mark on the race course.
CAMBER - The opening arc of the foot of the sail along the boom.
CHAINPLATE - A deck fitting that connects the side shrouds to the hull.
CLEAT - A fitting used to secure a line.
CLEW - The lower back corner of a sail.
CLOSED HAULED –Sailing as close to the wind (pointing) as possible.
COCKPIT - The area below deck level.
DOWNHAUL (or UP-HAUL) - Used to tighten the luff (forward edge) of the sail.
FOOT - Bottom edge of sail.
FORWARD - Toward the front or bow of the boat.
GOOSENECK - The swivel fitting that connects the boom to the mast.
GYBE - Changing tacks while sailing down wind.
HALYARDS - A line used to adjust the sails up or down. (Also Up-Hauls).
HEAD - Top corner of sail. (Also the restroom in some areas)
HEAD UP - Steering the boat into the eye of the wind. (Not going to the restroom)
HEADER - A change in wind direction away from the previous wind direction.
HEADING - The direction of the boat, relative to the wind direction.
IN IRONS - Turned into the wind and stuck without forward movement. (It’s a bitch!)
JIB - The sail forward of the mast.
JIB BOOM (or JIB CLUB) - The horizontal spar to which the jib is attached.
JIB SHEET - The line that controls the position of the jib boom and jib.
KEEL - The weighted bulb/fin under the boat that keep the boat from capsizing.
LEE HELM - The tendency of a boat to head away from the direction of the wind.
LEECH - The back edge of a sail.
LEEWARD - Downwind.
LIFT - A change in wind direction toward the previous wind direction.
LUFF - Forward edge of a sail.
LUFFING - The fluttering of a sail when it is pointed too high into the wind.
MARK - A “mark” of the race course, that a boat is to go around during a race.
MAST - The vertical spar that support the mail sail and boom.
MAINSHEET - The line that controls the position of the boom and main sail.
MAIN SAIL - The sail attached to the mast.
NOR - The official “Notice Of Race” or announcement of a regatta.
OUTHAUL - the line that adjusts the “camber” of the sail along the boom.
OVERLAP - One boat’s bow is ahead of another boat’s stern, on same heading.
PINCH - To sail as close to the wind (point up) as possible.
POINT - To turn closer towards the wind (point up).
PORT - The left side of the boat.
PORT TACK - Sailing with the wind coming from the port side of the boat.
REACH - Sailing with the wind from the side, abeam of the boat.
RIGGING, STANDING - Standing rigging is the mast and support stays.
RIGGING, RUNNING - Running rigging is the lines used to adjust the sails.
RUDDER - A fin under the stern of the boat used for steering.
RUNNING - Sailing downwind, where the wind direction is from the stern.
SHEET - Any line used to control or adjust the sails, main sheet or jib sheet.
SHROUDS - The support wires for the mast.
STARBOARD - The right hand side of the boat.
STARBOARD TACK - Sailing with the wind coming from the starboard side.
STERN - The rear end of the boat.
TACK - (1) The front, lower corner of a sail. (2) To change directions of the boat
by coming into the wind, where the wind comes from the other side of the boat.
TOPPING LIFT - A line that holds up the end of the jib boom for trimming.
TRANSOM - The rear, outer part of the stern.
TRIM - To adjust the position of the sails while sailing.
TUNE - To adjust the standing rigging for maximum speed and balance.
WINDWARD - Toward the direction of the wind is coming from, upwind.
WINDWARD HELM - The tendency of a boat to sail toward the direction of the wind.
