A Take on some Racing Terms!


  • Abeam - directly to the side of the boat
  • Aft - at or near the stern (back) of the boat
  • Amidships - the middle of the boat
  • Bailer - plastic container used to empty water from the boat
  • Beam - the term for the mazimum width of the boat
  • Beam reach - to sail with the wind coming across the beam of the boat
  • Bear away - to turn away from the wind
  • Block - the nautical term for a pulley
  • Boom - connected to the mast and supports the foot or the bottom of the sail
  • Bow- the forward end of the boat
  • Broad reach - to sail with the wind coming between the beam and astern
  • Buoyancy bags -
  • Burgee - small flag at the top of the mast used to tell wind direction
  • Centreboard - this is underneath the boat and gives the boat stability
  • Cleat - wooden, metal or plastic fastening to which ropes can be secured withot having to use knots
  • Clew - the lower corner of the sail nearest the back of the boat
  • Close hauled - sailing as close to the wind as possible
  • Close reach - the point of sailing with the wind about 55-80 degrees of the bow
  • Downwind - away from the wind
  • Drag - the resistance of the boat moving through the water
  • Foils - the collective term for rudder and centreboard
  • Foot - the lower edge of the sail
  • Go about - turning the bow of the boat through the wind
  • Gunwale - the edge of the hull or deck, pronounced as gunnel
  • Gybe - to turn the stern (back) of the boat through the wind
  • Head - the top corner of the sail
  • Head to wind - pointind directly into the wind and therefore stopped
  • Heel - the angle at which the boat is tipping when sailing
  • Kicker - rope used to control the amount of twist in the main sail and therefore the shape and power of the sail
  • Leech - the aft edge of the sail
  • Marks- Buoys which are used to mark a course during a race
  • Mainsheet- rope for trimming the sail
  • Mast - the vertical spar supporting the sail
  • No-go-zone - or no go area is where the boat cannot sail directly into
  • Offshore wind - wind blowing from the land towards the water
  • Onshore wind - wind blowing from the water onto the land
  • Outhaul - rope used to tension the foot of the sail
  • Painter- a rope attached to the bow of the boat used for towing on the water
  • Pinching- sailing too close to the wind
  • Plane - sailing quickly in strong winds by pushing up over the bow wave
  • Port - the lefthand side of the boat
  • Port tack - when the wind is coming ove the port side of the boat or the sail is set to starboard
  • Praddle - one handled small plastic paddle
  • Reach - to sail across the wind
  • Rigging - all the ropes and wires whichsupport the spars and all the sails to be controlled
  • Rudder - the blade at the stern of the boat used to steer
  • Sail ties - thin rope used to secure the sail to the boom and the mast
  • Sheet - rope that controls the sail
  • Spars - the collective term for the mast, boom and sprit
  • Stern - the back of the boat
  • Sprit -
  • Starboard tack - when the wind is coming over the starboard side of the boat or when the sail is set to port
  • Tack - the lower forward corner of the boat
  • Teack - to turn the bow of the boat through the wind
  • Telltails - lengths of wool on the sail used to check the air flow over the sail
  • Tiller - the piece attached to the rudder used to steer the boat
  • Tiller extension - attached to the tiller and used to steer the boat
  • Transom - the flat surface at the back of the boat to which the rudder is attached
  • Trim - the fore and aft angle of the boat through the water
  • Trim - the term used to adjust the sails as the wind changes
  • Trolley - what the boat sits in to be transported and launched
  • Upwind - towards the wind
  • Windward - the side towards the wind
  • 360/720 - term used to refer to the penalties given when certain rules are infringed