KEY POINTS:
Aft: at the back of the boat.
Backstays: adjustable lines that support the mast from the stern.
Batten: a light strip of wood or plastic inserted into the sail to give it shape and support.
Beam: the widest part of the boat.
Beat: the upwind leg in a race, sailing a
zigzag course towards the wind.
Boom: a horizontal spar that holds the foot of the mainsail.
Bulb: torpedo-shaped lead weight on the bottom of the keel, providing the ballast.
Chute: another name for a spinnaker.
Clew: the two bottom corners of the sail.
Cockpit: where the skipper and afterguard operate and where the instruments are located.
Code Zero: a tight luff, upwind spinnaker.
Downwind: sailing a course with the wind.
Foot: the bottom of a sail.
Foredeck: the deck in front of the mast
Forestay: a rigid rod-stay from the top of the mast to the bow, which supports the rig.
Gennaker: an asymmetric spinnaker used in lighter breezes when sailing downwind.
Genoa: a large headsail, overlapping the mast, hoisted in light winds.
Gybing: when the boat changes direction sailing downwind, to take the wind on the other side of the boat. A bear-away set is to hoist and set a spinnaker without gybing.
Halyard: a rope used to hoist and lower the sails.
Head: the top of the sail.
Headsail: the sail attached to the forestay, which acts like the boats gears. The lighter the wind, the bigger the sail.
Heel: when the boat leans over from the pressure of the wind on the sails.
Kite: another name for a spinnaker
Layline: an imaginary straight line tracking the course along which a yacht can reach a mark without tacking or gybing.
Leech: the back edge of the sail.
Leeward: the downwind side of the yacht.
Luff: the front edge of the sail.
Luff up: pointing the boat directly into the wind.
Mainsail: the large sail flown from the back edge of the mast.
Mainsheet: a line attached to the boom that controls the position and shape of the mainsail.
Port: the left side of the boat looking forward.
Port tack: when the wind comes from the left side and the mainsail is out to starboard (the right).
Protocol: a formal document that defines the rules for the America's Cup.
Rail: the edge of the deck where crew sit with their legs over the side in stronger winds.
Reach: to sail with the wind side-on to the yacht.
Rig: also known as the mast.
Run: the downwind legs of a race.
Sheets: the ropes used to control the shape of the sails.
Sidestays: rigid rod-stays supporting the rig sideways.
Slam-dunk: the art of tacking on another boat's wind close enough to prevent the other boat from tacking away.
Spinnaker: a large, light balloon-shaped sail used when sailing downwind.
Spreaders: horizontal struts attached to the mast.
Starboard: the right side of the boat, looking forward.
Starboard tack:when the wind comes from the right side and the mainsail is out to port (the left).
Stay: a wire supporting the mast, running from the bow or stern.
Tacking: when the yacht changes direction when sailing upwind, and takes the wind on the other side of the boat as it tacks into the wind. Also known as going about.
Tender: boat used to transport equipment and crew from shore to the race yachts, or tows yachts out to the racecourse.
Traveller: a fitting that slides in a track and is used to alter the angle of the sheets.
Trim: to adjust the angle of the sails with the sheets.
Telltails: pieces of thread attached to strategic points of the sails to indicate windflow.
Upwind: sailing a course about 40 degrees to the true wind direction.
Vang: the attachment from mast to boom, which keeps the bottom edge of the sail down, keeping its aerodynamic shape.
Winch: a device used to help adjust lines under load (aka coffee grinder).
Windward: the upwind side of the yacht
Y flag: a flag flown on board a race yacht protesting their opponent. Umpires must make an immediate ruling and the boat in the wrong must perform a penalty.