List 2 Flash Cards Sailing Terms

Front 1

Cleat

Back 1

A fitting where a line can be secured.

Front 2

Clew

Back 2

The aft lower corner of the sail is the clew. It is where the foot and the leech of the sail meet.

Front 3

Close-hauled

Back 3

Sailing as close to the wind as possible.

Front 4

Close reach

Back 4

Sailing with the wind forward of the beam, or with the bow approximately 60 degrees from the eye of the wind.

Front 5

Clove Hitch

Back 5

Similar to two half hitch knot. Most often used to hang fenders over side of boat for protection.

Front 6

Course

Back 6

The direction a boat is steered to reach a destination; or the compass heading; or the angle a boat is sailing relative to the wind

Front 7

Crew

Back 7

The people who help the helmsperson sail a boat.

Front 8

Cockpit

Back 8

Open part of boat

Front 9

Cunningham

Back 9

A control line used to tension the forward edge (luff) of a sail, similar to a downhaul.

Front 10

Dagger board

Back 10

Foil raised and lowered vertically used to reduce leeway, different from centerboard which is pivoted instead of raised.

Front 11

Dinghy

Back 11

An open boat, or one partially decked over without a cabin.

Front 12

Dolly

Back 12

A lightweight trailer that is used to move boats from their storage rack to the launch dock.

Front 13

Duct Tape

Back 13

A heavy duty, usually gray tape that will fix almost anything at least temporarily. You can never have enough.

Front 14

Ease

Back 14

To slack a line or sail, ie. To “sheet” out.

Front 15

Eye of the Wind

Back 15

From the source of the wind; directly into the direction from which the wind is blowing from, the no-sail¬zone.

Front 16

Fairlead

Back 16

Block or fitting used to change the direction of a running line such a jib sheet.

Front 17

Feathering

Back 17

Sailing upwind so close to the wind that the forward edge of the sail is stalling or luffing, slightly thus reducing the power generated by the sail and the angle of heel without stalling completely.

Front 18

Fenders

Back 18

Cushions to reduce the chafe between a boat and the dock or other boats

Front 19

Fiberglass

Back 19

Most modern boats are made of fiberglass. It is a woven material impregnated with a liquid resin that is very stiff when the resin dries.

Front 20

Figure 8 knot

Back 20

Stopper knot in the shape of an “8” used for the end of a line to prevent it from passing through a fairlead or eye.

Front 21

Fleet

Back 21

For racing purposes, sailors are grouped in fleets according to experience. The Sabot “A” fleet is the more advanced group, with B, C and C3 fleets being progressively more basic.

Front 22

Flying Junior

Back 22

The FJ is a two person boat. It is a primary junior training boat, often used in high school sailing events.

Front 23

Foot

Back 23

The bottom edge of the sail between the tack (front corner) and the clew (back corner).

Front 24

Forestay

Back 24

Forward support of mast, usually wire lead from bow to mast, part of the standing rigging.

Front 25

Give way

Back 25

The boat which must alter course to avoid another boat, the burdened boat in the Rules of the Road

Front 26

Gooseneck

Back 26

A hinged fitting on the mast that connects the mast to the boom.

Front 27

Grommet

Back 27

A metal ring in a sail that allows lines to be connected through or to the sail. Both the clew and the tack have grommets.

Front 28

Gudgeon

Back 28

A “U” shaped fitting on the back of a boat used to connect the rudder to the hull. Most sailing dinghies have two gudgeons.

Front 29

Halyards

Back 29

Lines that are attached to the head of a sail and used to hoist sails up the mast.

Front 30

Head

Back 30

The top of the sail

Front 31

Header

Back 31

A wind direction change “shift” that brings the wind closer to the bow.

Front 32

Heading

Back 32

The direction the boat is travelling at any given moment.

Front 33

Head Up

Back 33

Turn the bow of the boat toward the wind.

Front 34

Heel

Back 34

To lean a boat over, generally away from the wind.

Front 35

Helm

Back 35

1) the tiller; 2) the tendency of a boat to turn toward the wind (weather helm) or away from the wind (lee helm)

Front 36

Helmsperson

Back 36

The person who steers a boat, ie. skipper

Front 37

Hiking Out

Back 37

The action of hanging over the side of the boat in order to keep the boat flat on the water.

Front 38

Hiking Boots

Back 38

Special boots made of thick rubber that protect and support a sailor’s ankles when using the hiking strap to hike out.

Front 39

Hiking Strap

Back 39

A strap, usually stiff, sometimes padded for comfort, attached to the bottom of the cockpit under which a sailor places his/her feet in order to hold the sailor in the boat while hiking out.

Front 40

Hull

Back 40

The actual body of the boat.

Front 41

INSA

Back 41

International Naples Sabot Association. This is the class association for the Sabot. All Sabot racing fleet members must join.

Front 42

In irons

Back 42

A boat head to wind with all sails luffing and no maneuverability.

Front 43

Inspection Port

Back 43

A hole in the hull of the boat that allows the skipper to reach inside the hull to make repairs, or sponge out water.

Front 44

Jib

Back 44

The front sail on boats with two or more sails. It is small and triangular in shape.

Front 45

Jibe (Gybe)

Back 45

Turning the boat away from the wind so the stern passes through the wind and the sail(s) switches sides.

Front 46

Laser

Back 46

A popular 14 ft. high performance single hand boat. Used in the Olympics for men’s and womens single hand event.

Front 47

Lee

Back 47

The area sheltered from the wind, downwind; leeward (pronounced loo-ward) – the direction away from the wind, the side of the boat opposite the windward side.

Front 48

Leech

Back 48

The aft edge of the sail. The leech connects the head and the clew of the sail.

Front 49

Life jacket

Back 49

A jacket type device that provides flotation when sailors are in the water. A Coast Guard approved Personal Flotation Device (PFD) must be worn by all Junior’s while on the docks or the water. Only the vest type jacket is acceptable.

Front 50

Luff or Luffing

Back 50

1) The forward edge of the sail nearest the mast, between the tack and the head of the sail; 2) when a sail is waving back and forth as the sail is “eased” out too much or the boat is heading into the wind, the sail is said to be luffing, like a flag flying in the breeze. 3) when the boat turns its bow toward the wind the boat is said to be luffing.

Front 51

Mainsheet

Back 51

The line attached to the boom that controls the Mainsail in and out.

Front 52

Mast

Back 52

The vertical spar that supports the sail.

Front 53

Mast blocks

Back 53

Small pieces of wood or plastic used to support the mast in a forward or aft position.

Front 54

Mast Tube

Back 54

A tube on a Sabot that the mast fits into and supports the mast.

Front 55

One-design

Back 55

Any class of boat that has specific requirements for size and shape of hulls, sails and equipment to keep them equal, ie. Sabots, FJ’s and Lasers.

Front 56

Outhaul

Back 56

A line attached to the clew of the mainsail and used to stretch the sail out along the boom. The outhaul controls the “depth” of the sail.

Front 57

Paddle

Back 57

A small board or device used to move the boat in case of emergency or lack of wind. Paddle is required equipment on Sabots and many small boats.

Front 58

Pintles

Back 58

The pins on the rudder that are inserted into the gudgeons on the transom of the boat to connect the rudder to the hull.

Front 59

Planing

Back 59

When a boat accelerates enough to break loose from its bow wave and ride on top of the water.

Front 60

Port

Back 60

Refers to the left side of the boat as well as to which tack a boat is on. If a boat is on “port tack” the wind is coming over the left side of the boat.

Front 61

Ratchet Block

Back 61

These are special blocks that rotate in only one direction. They grip the line passing through the ratchet block, relieving some of the “pull” on that line.

Front 62

Reach

Back 62

Sail with the wind over the side. i.e A Beam reach is the wind approx. 90 degrees from the bow, broad reach 130-170 degrees from the bow, or close reach with the wind 55-80 from the bow.

Front 63

Rudder

Back 63

The movable, underwater blade on the transom of the boat used for steering.

Front 64

Run

Back 64

Sail downwind, with the wind aft or nearly so, ie. Sailing with the wind.

Front 65

Sabot

Back 65

A popular one person sailing dinghy used mainly in Southern California. They are 8 ft. long and weigh about 100 lbs.

Front 66

Sail

Back 66

The part of the boat’s equipment which is usually made from cloth and which is attached to the mast and is the boat’s primary reason for movement.

Front 67

Sailing Instructions

Back 67

At each regatta, these are made available to all competitors. They tell the sailors important information about the schedule for the day, starting order, courses to be sailed, etc.

Front 68

Sea breeze

Back 68

At each regatta, these are made available to all competitors. They tell the sailors important information about the schedule for the day, starting order, courses to be sailed, etc.

Front 69

Shackle

Back 69

A U shaped metal ring with a pin to close the “U”. It is used to connect objects together, such as connecting the jib halyard to the head (top) of the jib.

Front 70

Sheets

Back 70

All lines on a boat which are used to control the in and out motion of sail.

Front 71

S-Hook

Back 71

A stainless steel “S” shaped hook used on the end of many control lines that allows for quick hook up and
disconnect.

Front 72

Shrouds

Back 72

Wires that hold the mast to the sides of the boat and support the power of the sails. Part of the standing rigging

Front 73

Skipper

Back 73

The person in charge of the boat, usually the person steering the boat.

Front 74

Skippers Meeting

Back 74

All regattas begin with a Skippers Meeting. The meeting reviews the Sailing Instructions, special rules and to answer questions. Check Notice of Race (NOR) or Sailing Instructions to determine the time and place.

Front 75

Stand on

Back 75

To hold course, the privileged boat in the Rules of the Road.

Front 76

Starboard

Back 76

Refers to the right side of the boat. A boat is on a “starboard tack” when the wind is on its starboard side (coming over the right side of the boat).

Front 77

Stern

Back 77

Aft (back) end of a boat.

Front 78

Stopper knot

Back 78

A knot on the end of a line to prevent it from passing through a block, like the Figure 8 knot.

Front 79

Tack

Back 79

1) If a boat’s bow passes through the eye of the wind, then it is said to be tacking. 2) The direction the boat is sailing (see starboard and port). 3) The lower front corner of the sail where the luff and the foot of the sail meet.

Front 80

Telltales

Back 80

Small lengths of lightweight material attached to the sail near the luff or batten pockets of main sail to indicate the airflow over the sail.

Front 81

Thwart

Back 81

A structural board in the center of a Sabot. Juniors should sit next to the thwart when sailing.

Front 82

Tiller

Back 82

The long piece of wood that is connected to the top of the rudder. It changes the boat’s direction when moved from side to side.

Front 83

Tiller Extension

Back 83

A hinged extension attached to the tiller that allows the skipper to steer the boat while sitting forward or hiking out. This is standard equipment for all boats in the program.

Front 84

Transom

Back 84

The very back edge of the boat is called the transom. It is where the name of the boat is often painted.

Front 85

Traveler

Back 85

A line or track that controls sideways movement of the boom and mainsail.

Front 86

Trim

Back 86

1)Pulling or “sheeting” in a sail. 2)Fore and aft balance of a boat or 3)can be used to refer to the adjustment of sails to take the best advantage of the wind.

Front 87

True wind

Back 87

The speed and direction of the wind felt by a stationary object.

Front 88

Turtle, turn turtle

Back 88

When a vessel is capsized and completely inverted so that its hull is above the water and its mast is submerged.

Front 89

US SAILING

Back 89

The United States Sailing Association. All sailors should belong to this organization. US Sailing sponsors all Junior National Sailing Championship events.

Front 90

Weather

Back 90

Toward the wind

Front 91

Windward

Back 91

The general direction the wind is coming from.

Front 92

Wing and wing

Back 92

Running before the wind with the main sail and jib on opposite sides of the boat