Common Sailing Terms:
Ease: Moving the sails outward
Trim: Moving the sails inward
Bow: Front part of a boat.
Stern: Back part of a boat.
Starboard: Right side of a boat.
Port: Left side of a boat.
Deck: Top of the boat which covers the hull.
Luffing: The sails are no longer catching any wind and are flapping
Windward: Sailing with your boat into the wind.
Leeward: Sailing with your boat away from the wind.
Starboard Tack: The wind is coming from the starboard (right) side of the boat
Port Tack: The wind is coming from the port (left) side of the boat
Here you find a complete glossary of sailing
Type of sails:
Mainsail: The large sail which is attached to the mast and the boom.
Headsail/Jib: The sail in the front of a boat between the forestay and the mast. Often called the headsail. There are several types of Jibs.
Genoa Jib: overlaps the mainsail and is used to provide maximum power in light winds.
Working Jib: smaller jib which fills the space between the mast and forestay. Used in stronger winds.
Spinnaker: A large balloon sail attached to the mast at the front of the boat. Used when sailing downwind.
Sail boat Manoeuvres:
Coming-About or Tacking: The bow of a boat goes through the wind as one changes from a close-hauled point-of-sail on one tack (direction) to a close hauled point-of-sail on the other direction. Only the jib needs to be adjusted, the working sheet of the jib is changed and the new working sheet is placed on a winch. The mainsail is left alone and will by itself often assume the correct position.
Jibe: The stern (backside) of a boat goes through the wind as one changes from a broad reach on one tack (direction) to a broad reach in the other tack (direction).
Head Up: Change a boat’s sailing course into the direction of the wind.
Head Down: Change a boat’s course away from the direction of the wind.
Fall Off: To head a boat away from the wind.
