sailboat position names

Better Sailing

Sailing Crew Roles and Names

The skipper is responsible for the safety of the yacht and the crew’s welfare. However, sailing a boat successfully requires teamwork from the skipper and the crew. This will ensure that all maneuvers—such as leaving a mooring, hoisting sails, changing tacks, reefing, or entering a marina—can be completed with maximum enjoyment and minimum stress.

Boat Captain/Skipper

It may come as a shock, but the skipper is not necessarily the helm. This crew member must ensure that the boat is ready for sailing. He or she needs to make sure that all members of the crew are accounted for. They also need to make sure that food and fuel are sufficient, and sails are ready for hoisting. The skipper is in charge of keeping communications open onboard and help other crew members if needed. Also, they are usually responsible for talking the whole crew through maneuvers as they are about to happen and making sure that all crew members are ready.

What Makes A Good Skipper?

• Responsibility : The skipper is responsible for all aspects of the running of the yacht, its safety, and the crew’s wellbeing.
• Skills : He or she should be comfortable with sailing and navigation skills, inspire confidence in their crew, and be a good communicator.
• Delegation : A good skipper should keep on top of all his or her duties and give the crew tasks that are appropriate to their experience.
• Patience : He or she should be patient with inexperienced crew members and be able to run the yacht with a light touch while retaining respect and authority. 
• Briefing : It is the skipper’s role to plan the passage in detail before setting sail. 
• Involvement : A good skipper will also encourage the crew to get involved in passage planning and navigation and will always listen to their opinions.

Tactician 

The tactician’s role is to get the boat around the racecourse as fast as possible. For that, he needs to take into account the wind, tide, and other competitors, as well as the crew’s ability. They also need to make sure that the boat has the correct course. In short, the tactician is the brains of the sailboat. The tactician must communicate with the helm and skipper to run through maneuvers.

The Helm (Driver)

The Helm is often mistakenly perceived as the skipper. This crew role is to steer the boat where the tactician says and to keep sailing as fast as possible. The helm is also helping with other tasks, but they must focus on the job at hand as much as possible. The helm and the tactician must be in close communication with each other.

Head Sail Trimmers

This crew role is for two members, one who will cut release the sail when going through the tack while the other pulls in the full sail. The crew member releasing can then assist with tailing the sail or trimming it – which is a good example of teamwork. Also, the trimmer should keep adjusting the sail, depending on the point of sail, and should be very focused on that task. Also, the trimmers are in charge of trimming the spinnaker sail and guy when going downwind. Main communication is kept between each other, boat captain and tactician. Pre-start these guys will have a lot to do!

This crew member is in control of all sail hoists and drops depending on the wind. The bowman spends most of their time on the foredeck (the deck at the forward part of the sailboat), preparing for spinnaker hoists, gibes, and drops. 

This crew member is a combination of both the bowman and mastman. They are in control of all of the running rigging which comes into the cockpit. This is a vital role and always in the middle of the action. Pitmans must keep communication is between bowman, mast man, and skipper—the eyes and ears for the foredeck crew.

This position is reserved for the stronger members of the crew. A mastman’s foremost task is to assist with the speedy hoisting of the sails during maneuvers. The mast man and bowman go hand in hand and help each other on hoists and drops. The main communication is with the bowman, pitman, and skipper.

No sailing team is complete without its ballast crew members that help to balance the boat in order to reach its top possible speeds and maneuverability. These members of the crew are called ‘ballast’ and are key when racing for the mark. Ballast crew members have the best seat in the house.

What Makes a Good Crew Member?

• Key qualities : All crew members require a positive attitude, sense of humor, and the ability to get along with others in the confined space aboard a cruiser. 
• Willingness to Learn : Good crew members are willing to learn and to take an active role in all aspects of running the yacht.
• Attentive : Diligent crew listen to the instructions carefully and ask questions if they do not understand anything.
• Working As a Team : All members of the crew must remember that they are part of a team. A happy gathering in the cockpit at the end of the passage is an indicator that each member of the crew has done their job.

Peter is the editor of Better Sailing. He has sailed for countless hours and has maintained his own boats and sailboats for years. After years of trial and error, he decided to start this website to share the knowledge.

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Know Your Boat: Terms for Location, Position, and Direction

5 Common Terms All Mariners Should Know

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Some of the most common terms in sailing refer to the basic directions you'll need to know while on the boat itself, as well as some terms referring to the boat's position (or location) while in the water. If you aren't a sailor but rather a passenger, mariners can seem to speak a foreign language at times. Still, knowing some common nautical terms will help make your experience more enjoyable. And if you're a beginning sailor , using these terms accurately is imperative for operating your boat as well as for communicating with your passengers and fellow sailors.

Bow and Stern

The front end of a boat is called the bow . When you move toward the bow on the boat, you are going  forward . The rear of a boat is called the stern . When you move toward the stern on the boat, you are going aft .

When a boat is moving in the water, either by motor power or by sail , it is called being ​ underway . A boat moving forward is moving ahead . When the boat moves backward, it is going astern .

Port and Starboard

Port and starboard are nautical terms for left and right. If you are standing at the rear of the boat looking forward, or to the bow, the entire right side of the boat is the starboard side and the entire left side is the port side. Because port and starboard are not relative to the observer (like "left" and "right" would be), there is never any confusion while on board about which direction you are facing or headed. 

The term starboard derives from the Old English steorbord , which refers to the side on which the ship was steered using an oar—the right side because most people are right-handed.

Other terms to know are starboard bow , which refers to the front right side of the boat, and port bow , which refers to the front left side of the boat. The right rear of the boat is the starboard quarter ; the left rear is the port quarter .

Divisions Within the Boat

Boats are divided into eight basic sections. Amidships is the central part of the boat, running from bow to stern. Think of it as dividing the boat in half, long ways. Athwartships is the central part of the boat, running from the port to starboard side. Think of it as now dividing the boat into quarters.

The right center side of the boat is the starboard beam ; the left center side is the port beam . Together with port and starboard bow and port and starboard quarter, they finish dividing the boat.

Up and Down on a Boat

Going topside is moving from a lower deck to an upper deck of the boat while going below is moving from an upper deck to a lower deck.

Windward and Leeward

Windward is the direction from which the wind is blowing; leeward is the opposite direction from which the wind is blowing. Knowing the windward side (moving toward the wind) and leeward side (moving away from the wind) of a boat is critical when mooring, unmooring, and operating in heavy weather.

A windward vessel is normally the more maneuverable vessel, which is why rule 12 of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea  stipulates that windward vessels always give way to leeward vessels.

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The role of crew positions and duties on a sailboat

Discover the key crew positions and their duties on a sailboat to ensure a safe and enjoyable journey exploring the open sea with your family.

The Role of Crew Positions and Duties on a Sailboat

Sailing is an exciting and fulfilling way to explore the world with your family, but it’s also a complex endeavor that requires a solid understanding of various crew positions and duties. In this article, we’ll delve into the different roles on a sailboat, their responsibilities, and how they contribute to a successful sailing adventure.

Table of Contents

Introduction, watch leader, galley crew, communications officer.

Before we dive into the specific crew positions, it’s important to note that the size and complexity of your sailboat will determine the number of crew members needed. On a smaller boat, one person may take on multiple roles, while larger boats may require a full crew to operate efficiently. Regardless of your boat’s size, understanding the various roles and their duties will help ensure a safe and enjoyable sailing experience.

The skipper, also known as the captain, is the person in charge of the sailboat. They are responsible for the overall safety and well-being of the crew and the vessel. The skipper’s duties include:

• Planning and executing the sailing itinerary
• Ensuring the boat is properly maintained and equipped
• Making decisions regarding navigation, weather, and safety
• Managing the crew and assigning tasks
• Ensuring all crew members are trained and competent in their roles
• Handling emergencies and making critical decisions under pressure

The skipper should have extensive sailing experience, strong leadership skills, and a thorough understanding of the boat’s systems and capabilities.

The first mate, or mate, is the skipper’s right-hand person and is responsible for assisting with the management of the boat and crew. The first mate’s duties include:

• Assisting the skipper with navigation, weather, and safety decisions
• Supervising and directing the crew in their tasks
• Stepping in as skipper if the skipper is incapacitated or unavailable

The first mate should have strong sailing skills, good communication and leadership abilities, and a solid understanding of the boat’s systems and capabilities.

The navigator is responsible for planning and executing the boat’s course, taking into account factors such as weather, currents, and hazards. The navigator’s duties include:

• Creating and updating the boat’s passage plan
• Monitoring the boat’s position and progress using charts, GPS, and other navigational tools
• Identifying and avoiding potential hazards, such as reefs, shoals, and shipping traffic
• Communicating with the skipper and crew regarding the boat’s course and any necessary adjustments

The navigator should have strong navigational skills, a keen eye for detail, and the ability to think critically and make decisions under pressure.

On longer passages, the crew will typically be divided into watches, with each watch responsible for sailing the boat for a set period of time. The watch leader is responsible for overseeing their watch and ensuring the boat is sailed safely and efficiently. The watch leader’s duties include:

• Ensuring the crew on watch is performing their tasks correctly and efficiently
• Monitoring the boat’s course, speed, and sail trim
• Communicating with the skipper and other watch leaders regarding the boat’s progress and any issues that arise
• Ensuring the crew on watch is well-rested and alert

The watch leader should have strong sailing skills, good communication and leadership abilities, and the ability to make decisions under pressure.

The helm, or helmsperson, is responsible for steering the boat and maintaining its course. The helm’s duties include:

• Steering the boat according to the navigator’s instructions
• Monitoring the boat’s speed and adjusting the sails as needed to maintain optimal performance
• Communicating with the crew regarding sail trim and other adjustments
• Keeping a lookout for potential hazards and other vessels

The helm should have strong sailing skills, good communication abilities, and a keen sense of awareness.

Deckhands are responsible for handling the sails, lines, and other equipment on the boat. Deckhand duties include:

• Hoisting, lowering, and trimming sails
• Tying and adjusting lines, such as halyards, sheets, and dock lines
• Assisting with anchoring and mooring the boat
• Performing routine maintenance tasks, such as cleaning and inspecting the rigging

Deckhands should have a basic understanding of sailing and be able to follow instructions and work well as part of a team.

The galley crew is responsible for preparing meals and maintaining the cleanliness and organization of the boat’s galley (kitchen). Galley crew duties include:

• Planning and preparing meals for the crew
• Ensuring the galley is clean and well-stocked
• Managing food storage and waste disposal
• Assisting with other tasks as needed, such as cleaning and maintenance

Galley crew members should have good cooking skills, be well-organized, and able to work efficiently in a small space.

The engineer is responsible for maintaining and repairing the boat’s mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. Engineer duties include:

• Performing routine maintenance on the engine, generator, and other systems
• Diagnosing and repairing mechanical, electrical, and plumbing issues
• Ensuring the boat’s systems are operating efficiently and safely
• Assisting with other tasks as needed, such as sail handling and deck work

The engineer should have a strong technical background, good problem-solving skills, and a thorough understanding of the boat’s systems.

The communications officer is responsible for managing the boat’s communication systems, including radios, satellite phones, and internet access. Communications officer duties include:

• Monitoring and operating the boat’s communication systems
• Ensuring the crew is aware of and follows proper communication protocols
• Communicating with other vessels, marinas, and authorities as needed
• Assisting with navigation and weather information

The communications officer should have a strong understanding of communication systems and protocols, good communication skills, and the ability to think critically and make decisions under pressure.

Understanding the various crew positions and their duties is essential for a successful sailing adventure. Whether you’re sailing with a full crew or taking on multiple roles yourself, being well-versed in these responsibilities will help ensure a safe and enjoyable journey for you and your family. As you gain experience and confidence in your sailing abilities, you’ll be better equipped to handle the challenges and rewards that come with living the sailing lifestyle.

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An Overview Of The Essential Crew Positions On A Boat

Here’s a summary of the main crew roles you’ll find on board a boat.

The Captain

Otherwise known as the Helmsman or Skipper , the captain takes the lead on board and is responsible for guiding the ship and its crew to its destination.  A captain should be the most knowledgeable sailor on board, and also exhibit significant qualities of leadership – after all, it’s his direction and leadership that guides the crew in the successful sailing of the ship.

The captain makes many on board decisions himself, and if he needs to consult his crew – perhaps regarding navigation or racing tactics –  he’ll have the final say over any decisions made.

The First Mate

The first mate is the captain’s right hand man.  His role differs depending on the size of the ship and the number of crew on board.  On a small sailing vessel, there may only be the captain and a couple of others – in which case the First Mate’s role will be almost more deckhand-esque than anything else.

On board larger ships, however, the first mate generally has more responsibility.  Most of the crew will report directly to him, and he’ll be in charge of the cargo, the safety and  the security of the ship.

The engineer performs a vital role on board any powered vessel – it’s his responsibility to make sure all electrical and mechanic equipment is functioning properly.  His most important task is to keep the main engines at full operational capacity, but he’s also responsible for repair and maintenance of other equipment such as on board jet skis, remote controls and televisions.

The Bosun is essentially a senior deckhand. He’s tasked with the overall responsibility for the state of the boat, and as you’d expect, is also in charge of the deckhands junior to him.

A ship’s cook plays a crucial role – he’s responsible for keeping guests well-fed and happy, and providing the crew with the right sustenance so they can do their jobs effectively. There are a couple of peripheral skills a ship’s cook needs over and above a chef in a restaurant.

Firstly, he has to carefully select the right ingredients for the voyage – he needs to consider how long they’ll last, and pick “nutrient dense” foods that pack a nutritious punch in small amounts of space.

He also needs to be able to cook in a somewhat unpredictable environment, given the tendency of a ship to buck and sway on the waves. The cook has to take extra care with knives, pots, pans and safety protocols in the ship’s kitchen.

Deckhands are the workhorses of the boat’s crew.

Deckhands have a range of general responsibilities, and their main task is to keep the boat in ship-shape. This includes cleaning, painting, general maintenance and possibly driving tenders or kit such as jet skis for guests.

They may also be required to assist with cleaning, cooking and serving food.

A deckhand is an entry level crew position, and it’s a great place to start if you want to gain experience, work your way up the hierarchy and develop more specialised sailing skills further down the line.

Any of these positions take your fancy?  If so, check out one of our  Competent Crew course s – they’re the best place to start in order to get your foot in the door for a professional role on board.

And if you like the thought of captaining your own ship, check out the RYA Day Skipper course, which is your fast-track introduction to the role.

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What Each Crew Position Wants You to Know

August 2, 2017

This article is a guide to show how small improvements can make a big difference for your fellow crew. Read on to learn what your crew wants you to remember each race!

While it’s important to master your position on the boat, it’s equally as important to understand what’s going on in other domains and what you can do to make your teammates’ life easier and help the boat sail smoothly.

We reached out to a mix of successful sailors to find out what they want the other crew members to keep in mind to help them execute their job the best they can. Here’s what they had to say.

“The race is not over until the spinnaker comes down. It is easy to switch to recovery mode right after crossing the finish line, but this can be costly with a messy takedown, ripped or wet sail. To go along with this, after races finish send the jib bag up before the food bag! It’s frustrating for the bow when I’m are ready to flake the jib and everybody is eating.

I am happy to see the tactician’s general awareness of the bow team. We understand tacking mid jib-flake can’t always be avoided, but a quick cleanup with everyone cooperating makes life much easier. Lastly, my lifeline is the pit position, I like when this person is attentive and stays by their position until the bow team finishes cleaning up between races!” Anonymous bowman

“The mast is a lot easier when trimmers have patience on the set. They can pop the spinnaker open by sheeting too early and make the mast and foredeck look terrible! My key teammates are sewer and pit: a spinnaker set never works well if the trimmers, mast, sewer and pit are working independently, but when we hit on all cylinders, the set will be a thing of beauty. The other critical players to a happy mast are the tactician and helmsman. If the boat isn't in proper orientation to the wind when it is time to take the spinnaker down disaster can strike. A great bow/mast team will make it work, but a little waggle to help collapse the spinnaker goes a long way for a clean drop.” Andrew Spaulding*

“Be mindful of where things are thrown. For example: a jib change on the run, I may not be the one putting the old jib or bag down below, so I ask teammates to be mindful of the flaked kite halyard. I flake it once and then spend the rest of my run focusing on weight placement, pole position, finding the leeward marks and it becomes time consuming to have my head in the boat for longer than necessary.

The pit is in the middle of two groups. When it comes to maneuvers, the bow and brain trust may not always be on the same page, and I often have to decide which one to follow. If the back of the boat is calling for something that the bow is not ready to do; I can't force the issue. I can facilitate it, convey the sense of urgency, but I can't take the spinnaker down or jibe it by myself. This communication becomes easier if I receive clear and timely information from either end of the boat.” Scott Murin

Headsail Trimmer:

“Acknowledgment of communication. If I ask a teammate to do something, they should either act on it immediately or answer ‘copy’. If there is no acknowledgment, the person making the request often asks two or three times getting louder each time. I often see this situation and, my ultimate pet peeve is when the teammate finally answers and says ‘I HEARD YOU!’ When people say “copy” I can leave the task with them and move on. My other suggestion is to make habit of saying the person’s name before making a request so their attention is grabbed and time is not wasted by repeating what they didn’t hear before their name was called (this could be the difference between a collision and a race win).” Morgan Trubovich

“A briefing with the days goals. There should be a morning discussion describing the weather, potential courses, and anything else important. After the team is on the same page, people can break into groups depending on who they need to interact with throughout the day. I talk to my offside trimmer and grinders about what situations may come up and then I talk to the main trimmer about possible sails and boat settings.

It is also important to have quiet and calm maneuvers. I like to have ongoing discussions about what’s to come so when the boat is actually turning everyone has already anticipated their weight placement and I can focus on feeling the sheet run through my hands.” Dave Gerber

Main Trimmer:

“The most important thing is pressure calls and relatives. A main trimmer is ‘head in the boat’ which only gives them so much feel, so consistent and accurate information are crucial for boat speed. I am happy with simple dialogue with the tactician to know what modes are expected. If we develop standard steps, it becomes easy to be on same page.

The jib and main must also cooperate, they are constantly working together to make the boat do what the tactician wants. As a main trimmer, I let the jib do what they want and communicate when they are hitting the main or when they can be tighter. It’s good to develop concise key words and terminologies for any maneuver where the main has to be fine-tuned; some examples: high build, high kill, half tack, speed build, or racing.” Luke Lawrence

“I love it when new crew get onboard, listen to the race conversation and offer input where it might be lacking or where he/she can contribute value.  For example, if no one is calling breeze on the rail, it’s great to have a crew take the initiative to make very concise and valuable breeze calls (Puff on in 3, 2, 1….).   It’s also great when new crew take a few minutes to observe, listen and see what info or help might be needed instead of diving right in without first watching or thinking. It's valuable when a crew member offers input and "finishes the sentence."  How many times have you heard someone say "...the right has a lot of pressure...." AND what??? Inquiring minds want to know. Finish the sentence: "... and they look strong/are headed/etc."   Completing the sentence and picture for the tactician, driver and speed team is extremely helpful.   A positive attitude and imploring the “5 second rule” (does what I’m about to say make sense and is it valuable? Am I finishing the sentence with my comment? ) make any crew a welcome addition to my boat." Ms. Sailsalot

“Come with a game face on. There is always time for bar talk, but it shouldn’t be before racing. I appreciate team members who get to the boat and prepare their position for racing. When people scatter and aren’t responsible for their area it takes away from what I need to be doing as a tactician and the performance suffers.” Geoff Ewenson

“Clear and short communication. I am happy when the trimmers and I are in sync with what steps we will take as conditions change. It is helpful for me to understand which way the trimmer is likely to move the leads, etc. as the breeze changes. For me, tactical input and observations are certainly invited before situations happen, especially 10 minutes before a start.” George Szabo

Boat Captain:

“Ask questions at the right time. I love when people want to learn and be involved with how the boat comes together, but choose a time when not much else is going on, probably not when I’ve just sat down to service a winch. I love it when each crew member takes responsibility for their station and addresses problems early, and to take it one step further if they are part of the solution whether it be a short term regatta fix or the long term ultimate fix, it’s fun to bounce ideas off others.

My life becomes easier when teammates self-delegate. I think of tasks as skilled and unskilled; if you are unsure how to help with the skilled boat work, there are always unskilled items that can be taken care of. Examples: filling water bottles, organizing down below, grabbing food and clean up. And if you still don’t know what to do, ask yourself, ‘If I were running this boat, what would I want done right now?’” Kyle Kant

*Editor’s Note: Shortly after publishing this piece, our team received the very sad news of Andrew Spaulding’s untimely passing. He was much loved by the sailing community and our team’s deepest sympathies go out to his friends, family and everyone who’s lives were touched by his wonderful spirit.

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Points of Sail Diagram: A Visual Guide to Sailing Positions

by Emma Sullivan | Jul 16, 2023 | Sailboat Racing

Short answer points of sail diagram:

A points of sail diagram illustrates the different angles at which a sailing boat can interact with the wind. It typically presents five main positions – close-hauled, beam reach, broad reach, running, and an illustration of how these angles relate to the wind direction. These diagrams assist sailors in understanding sail trim and optimal boat performance.

Understanding the Points of Sail Diagram: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you’re new to the world of sailing, understanding the points of sail diagram is essential knowledge. It serves as a compass for sailors, helping them navigate their way through different wind conditions and efficiently maneuver their boats. In this step-by-step guide, we will dive deep into what the points of sail diagram mean and how they can be used to your advantage on the water.

1. Introduction: The Importance of Understanding Points of Sail Sailing is all about harnessing the power of the wind to propel your boat forward. To do this effectively, you need to understand how your sails interact with the wind from different directions. The points of sail diagram provides a visual representation of these angles, serving as a valuable tool to help you optimize your speed and direction while sailing.

2. Breaking down the Diagram The points of sail diagram typically features eight distinct sections or “points” that represent different angles at which the boat can sail in relation to the wind direction. At one extreme is upwind sailing or close-hauled sailing (pointing directly into the wind), followed by various angles such as close reach, beam reach, broad reach, running downwind, and finally dead downwind (with the wind directly behind). Each point on the diagram represents an angle with respect to true or apparent wind.

3. Close-Hauled Sailing: Challenging but Efficient Close-hauled sailing is when you’re pointing directly into the wind or slightly off it. This is considered one of the most challenging points on the diagram but yields excellent efficiency if sailed correctly. Your sails will be trimmed in tightly, allowing them to capture as much energy from head-on winds as possible without stalling.

4. Reaching: Finding Your Sweet Spot When you start moving away from close-hauled sailing, you’ll enter other points called reaches—close reach, beam reach, and broad reach—that offer differing angles between your boat’s bow and the wind direction. Reaching is like finding a sweet spot on the points of sail spectrum, wherein boat speed and maneuverability are maximized. Depending on the angle, you may need to adjust your sail trim and weight distribution to optimize performance.

5. Downwind: Embracing the Wind’s Power As you move farther down the points of sail diagram, you’ll reach running downwind and dead downwind (also known as sailing by the lee). These points have their unique challenges but also immense rewards. Running with the wind directly behind can provide exhilarating speed, but it requires careful handling of your sails due to possible accidental jibing. By understanding these points, you can trim your sails for optimal performance while maintaining control.

6. Practical Applications: Utilizing Points of Sail Diagram to Your Advantage Understanding the points of sail diagram is not only about theory—it has practical implications too. By analyzing factors such as wind strength, sea state, and desired course, you can determine which point on the diagram is most suitable for reaching your destination efficiently. Adjusting your sails accordingly and making slight alterations in your heading based on wind shifts will help you maintain higher speeds and reduce unnecessary zig-zagging.

7. Improving Sailboat Racing Skills with Points of Sail For sailors who engage in competitive racing, comprehending the points of sail diagram becomes even more fundamental to success on the racecourse. Understanding how your boat performs in different angles relative to other boats allows for strategic decision-making during mark roundings and tactical maneuvers throughout a race.

In conclusion, mastering the points of sail diagram is a crucial skill for any sailor looking to improve their efficiency and navigate smoothly through various wind conditions. Whether you’re a novice sailor or an experienced racer, understanding this visual representation will undoubtedly enhance your ability to harness the power of wind effectively while enjoying what sailing has to offer. Happy sailing!

How to Interpret the Points of Sail Diagram: A Beginner’s FAQ

Title: Exploring the Points of Sail Diagram: A Beginner’s Comprehensive Guide

Introduction: Sailing, with its timeless appeal and serene beauty, has captivated human beings for centuries. It offers an exhilarating way to navigate through vast water bodies using the power of the wind. However, fully understanding the various “points of sail” is crucial for any novice sailor looking to embark on this extraordinary adventure. In this blog post, we aim to demystify the Points of Sail diagram by providing a comprehensive FAQ-style guide that encompasses all necessary details and navigational techniques one needs to grasp before setting sail.

1. What is the Points of Sail Diagram? At its core, the Points of Sail diagram presents a visual representation of all possible angles at which a sailing vessel can harness wind power effectively. It illustrates how a boat’s sails interact with the wind relative to its course and helps sailors determine the most optimal technique for achieving their desired speed and direction.

2. Understanding the Wind Directions: The first step in interpreting this diagram involves understanding four fundamental wind directions:

a) Dead Ahead (Close Hauled): The wind direction aligned directly forward from your boat. b) In Irons: Sailing too closely into the wind, causing your sails to luff or flap irregularly. c) Beam Reach: The wind blowing perpendicular to your vessel’s side. d) Running Before or Downwind: The wind coming from behind your boat.

3. Determining Apparent Wind: Apparent Wind refers to how the actual windspeed and direction impact a boat as it moves through water. Depending on factors such as boat speed and angle relative to true wind, apparent wind may differ slightly from real-world measurements.

4. Identifying Sail Positions and Pointing Angles: The diagram demonstrates six key points where you can position your sails based on their interaction with apparent wind:

a) Close Hauled (AKA Beating or Cracking Off): Sailing as closely into the wind as possible. b) Close Reach: Sailing at an angle just off the wind direction. c) Beam Reach: Sailing perpendicular to the wind, with sails fully open and untrimmed. d) Broad Reach: Sailing slightly downwind while maintaining good speed and stability. e) Running (Downwind Run): Sail positioned for maximum acceleration from a tailwind. f) Wing-and-Wing: A technique used when sailing directly downwind or running, where two sails are set on opposite sides of the boat.

5. Optimal Courses: By understanding which points of sail are best suited for different wind angles, you can plot optimal courses that minimize tacking maneuvers, maintain efficient speeds, and maximize your overall sailing experience.

Conclusion: Mastering the Points of Sail diagram is like unveiling the secrets of the sea—a necessary step on a sailor’s journey towards complete control in harnessing wind power and navigating through vast waterways. With this comprehensive guide, beginners can now confidently interpret and apply the principles illustrated by this invaluable diagram. Enjoy your time exploring these uncharted waters while experiencing the thrill only true sailors understand!

Demystifying the Points of Sail Diagram: Essential Concepts Explained

Title: Demystifying the Points of Sail Diagram: Unlocking Essential Concepts

Introduction:

Sailing, though often seen as an exhilarating and graceful sport, can be quite enigmatic for novices. Aspiring sailors often encounter a perplexing diagram called “The Points of Sail.” While its purpose is evident to seasoned sailors, deciphering this visual aid can leave newcomers scratching their heads. If you find yourself in this group, fear not! We are here to unpack this enigma and provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the essential concepts behind the points of sail diagram.

1. Unveiling the Hidden Navigation Tool:

At first glance, the points of sail diagram might seem like a cluster of incomprehensible arrows and sectors. Yet, beneath its arcane appearance lies one of sailing’s most crucial navigation tools—an instrument that reveals how a sailboat interacts with wind directions in different scenarios.

2. Direction Influences Sailing Efficiency:

To understand the points of sail fully, it is vital to grasp that wind direction plays an influential role in determining sailing efficiency. For instance, trying to sail directly upwind not only becomes challenging but may even render your conquest impossible due to physics constraints.

3. The Big Picture: Dividing Wind Directions:

Divided into eight main divisions delimited by arbitrary angles (known as sectors), the points of sail diagram delineates various wind directions relative to a sailboat’s bow – from dead ahead (wind coming directly towards) through all possible headings until reaching dead astern (wind coming directly from behind).

4. Zones Destined for Thrilling Speed:

Among these sectors lie three significant zones that provide optimal conditions for maximizing speed and efficient navigation—close-hauled (or close to the wind), beam reach, and broad reach zones.

a) Close-Hauled Zone: Taking you closest to sailing against the wind, known as pointing close-hauled or beating into the eye of zephyr, this sector is ideal for gaining height without any side drift.

b) Beam Reach Zone: With wind coming from a ninety-degree angle to the boat, this zone enables smooth sailing with impressive speeds. Be prepared to experience a quick rhythm and exceptional lateral movement.

c) Broad Reach Zone: As you venture away from the close-hauled zone, the wind angle increases further until it reaches your vessel at an acute rearward angle within the broad reach zone. Brace yourself for exhilarating surges of speed combined with rejuvenating breezes brushing against your face.

5. Tacking and Jibing Essentials:

While familiarizing yourself with the points of sail diagram, it is essential to grasp two fundamental maneuvers – tacking and jibing. Tacking involves turning your boat’s bow through the wind while crossing into another close-hauled sector, allowing you to change direction efficiently. Conversely, jibing entails swinging your stern through the wind, facilitating shifts from one broad reach or run sector to another.

6. The Pleasures and Challenges of Dead Zones:

Filling in the gaps between those three key zones lie three areas aptly named dead zones (no-sail sectors). These sectors encompass scenarios where the sailboat struggles due to inadequate winds in relation to its direction—irresistible challenges that demand remarkable skill and patience from sailors determined to conquer them.

Conclusion:

Admittedly, unraveling the intricacies behind a seemingly complicated diagram like “The Points of Sail” might appear daunting at first. However, understanding these essential concepts is crucial for aspiring sailors seeking smooth navigation across varying wind directions. By embracing the intricacies delineated in this blog post, we hope that you embark on your sailing adventure equipped with newfound confidence and knowledge—a blend essential for taking full advantage of every possible point of sail on your nautical journey!

Mastering Sailboat Navigation: Unveiling the Power of the Points of Sail Diagram

Sailboat navigation is an ancient art that mariners have entrusted their lives to for centuries. From early explorers to modern-day sailors, understanding the ins and outs of navigating a sailboat is crucial for a successful voyage. One powerful tool that has stood the test of time is the Points of Sail Diagram – a clever representation that unlocks the true potential of sailing.

The sailboat’s points of sail diagram depicts six different angles at which a boat can effectively sail in relation to the wind. These angles are named: close-hauled, close reach, beam reach, broad reach, running, and dead downwind. Each point represents a unique combination of sail trim and wind direction that not only affects speed but also determines your ability to reach your intended destination.

Let’s dive into each point and uncover the secrets they hold!

1. Close-hauled: This point showcases utmost efficiency against an upwind or beating course. By steering as close to the wind as possible, sailors can maximize their velocity made good (VMG) towards their desired location. However, it requires precise trimming and constant adjustments to keep sails full without stalling them.

2. Close Reach: When you ease slightly from close-hauled, you enter this versatile point. It allows for increased speed by harnessing more lift from airflow across sails while maintaining efficiency upwind. The close reach can be your go-to when trying to make headway towards a target upwind.

3. Beam Reach: Here lies sheer exhilaration! Your sails fill with maximum power perpendicular to the wind direction, propelling you comfortably at good speed across open water. The enticing balance between stable sailing conditions and thrilling progression makes this point ideal for leisurely cruises or having some fun with friends out on the water.

4. Broad Reach: As you continue turning away from directly perpendicular windward orientation, the sailboat starts moving closer to running downwind. The broad reach showcases both elegance and excitement as your boat gracefully glides through the water with exhilarating speed. It’s a sweet spot where veteran sailors masterfully handle their craft, sticking harmoniously between swiftness and control.

5. Running: Picture this: You’re on a sailboat racing downwind, feeling the wind in your hair, spray in your face, and that pure adrenaline rush! Welcome to the running point—where boats effortlessly surf along waves propelled by nothing but nature’s breath. While it might appear simple, maintaining optimal control while maximizing speed requires subtle adjustments like using weight distribution or trimming sails strategically.

6. Dead Downwind: To complete our journey across the points of sail diagram, we find ourselves at dead downwind – sailing directly away from the wind. In this position, you’ll witness simplicity at its finest as you let nature do most of the work. However, an experienced sailor knows that even in simplicity lies a challenge; staying perfectly aligned without accidental gybing or losing momentum demands focus and skill.

Understanding these points of sail unlocks infinite possibilities for sailors worldwide. Whether you’re competing in regattas striving for ultimate performance or embarking on leisurely journeys exploring vast blue horizons – mastery over these angles is essential.

So next time you step aboard a sailboat, take a moment to appreciate the power behind each diagram point and let it guide you towards sailing excellence and unforgettable nautical adventures!

Navigating Your Way with a Points of Sail Diagram: A Comprehensive Breakdown

Navigating your way through the vast sea or ocean can be an exhilarating yet complex task. Sailors and boating enthusiasts face a multitude of challenges, from changing wind conditions to varying water depths. To add to this complexity, sailors must also have a thorough understanding of the points of sail diagram, which acts as a compass in guiding them towards their destination.

The points of sail diagram is designed to help sailors determine the most efficient angle for their sailboat’s sails in relation to the wind direction. It provides a visual representation of how a sailboat should maneuver depending on the wind’s course. By understanding this diagram, sailors are able to make precise adjustments and harness the power of the wind effectively.

Let’s delve into each section of this comprehensive breakdown to truly comprehend the significance and functionality of this crucial sailing tool:

1. The No-Sail Zone: At one extreme end of the points of sail diagram lies the no-sail zone. This area signifies when your boat is directly facing into the wind, with sails unable to generate any driving force. Sailors must avoid this zone since it offers little to no forward movement and can lead to frustratingly slow progress.

2. Close Hauled: Moving slightly away from the no-sail zone, we encounter close-hauled sailing position where you’re almost pointing directly into the wind but not completely. Here, your sails are trimmed in tight, maximizing their efficiency by capturing as much air as possible while maintaining forward propulsion. This position is ideal for sailing upwind or against the wind’s direction.

3. Beam Reach: Continuing along our journey around the points of sail diagram, we find ourselves at beam reach – where your boat is positioned perpendicular (90 degrees) to the wind direction. Your sails are set accordingly so that they can capture maximum lateral pressure from sideways winds. This point offers a perfect balance between speed and control while ensuring swift progress at right angles to the prevailing winds.

4. Broad Reach: As we venture further around the diagram, our sails start to move away from the boat’s centerline. In this broad reach position, your sails capture the wind from behind as you sail across it. The boat is neither pointing directly downwind nor cutting through at a right angle but lies somewhere in between. At this point, sailing maneuvers become more challenging, requiring careful adjustments to maintain stability and prevent accidental gybing (when the boom swings excessively due to wind changes).

5. Running Downwind: Finally, we arrive at the last section of the points of sail diagram – running downwind or sailing directly away from the wind’s direction. This position poses its unique challenges since you must avoid unintentional jibing while keeping your sails filled with air by controlling their shape using various techniques like goosewinging or using a spinnaker sail.

Understanding and mastering these various positions on the points of sail diagram grants sailors an extraordinary level of control over their vessel. By ensuring sails are appropriately trimmed and positioned according to wind direction, sailors can maximize speed, efficiency, and overall maneuverability.

In conclusion, navigating your way with a points of sail diagram acts as a comprehensive compass for every sailor out on the open waters. It provides clear visual guidance on how to optimize your sails’ performance while adapting to changing wind conditions. By embracing this tool with professional knowledge and clever adjustments, sailors can confidently navigate any course set before them – making their time on water not only efficient but also exhilaratingly enjoyable.

Fine-Tuning Your Sailing Skills: Utilizing the Points of Sail Diagram for Optimal Efficiency

Fine-tuning your sailing skills is essential if you want to become an efficient and savvy sailor. As with any sport or activity, practice makes perfect, but it is equally important to understand the fundamental concepts that drive sailing. One such concept that every sailor should be familiar with is the points of sail diagram – a powerful tool that can greatly enhance your efficiency on the water.

The points of sail diagram visually represents the different angles at which your boat can sail in relation to the wind direction. It not only helps you navigate through various wind conditions but also allows you to make informed decisions regarding sail trim and course selection. By fully understanding and utilizing this diagram, you can optimize your efficiency on the water and get the most out of your sailing experience.

So, let’s delve into each point of sail and explore how they can contribute to enhanced sailing proficiency:

1. Close-Hauled: This is when your boat sails as close as possible towards the wind without allowing it to stall or luff. It requires precise trimming of both mainsail and jib, ensuring maximum power while keeping the sails flat. Mastering close-hauled sailing gives you excellent upwind performance and enables you to maintain a steady course against opposing current or rough sea conditions.

2. Beam Reach: At this point of sail, your boat forms a 90-degree angle with respect to the wind direction. With both sails trimmed appropriately, you achieve optimal balance between speed and maneuverability while enjoying relatively smooth sailing conditions. Beam reaching provides an opportunity to harness significant velocity without sacrificing stability.

3. Broad Reach: As you start turning away from a beam reach towards a downwind course, you enter into this point of sail category known as broad reach. The trick here lies in adjusting your sails for maximum power delivery while avoiding unintentional gybes (when your boom swings suddenly across). By leveraging wind shifts effectively, broad reaching becomes thrilling yet controlled navigation technique suited for covering long distances efficiently.

4. Running: This is sailing directly downwind, with the wind blowing into the back of your sails. It requires strategic sail setup to catch every ounce of available wind and maintain a stable course without any accidental broaches (when your boat swerves uncontrollably). Knowing how to handle running conditions empowers you to hold steady in pursuit of top speeds or calmly navigate through tight areas crowded with other boats.

By actively incorporating these points of sail into your sailing repertoire, you can easily adapt to changing wind conditions and make informed decisions on sail trim, course selection, and even tactical maneuvers while racing competitively. Whether you’re an experienced sailor looking for that competitive edge or just starting your sailing journey, mastering the points of sail diagram will undoubtedly improve your efficiency on the water.

However, keep in mind that each boat type performs uniquely under different points of sail and mastering their nuances requires practice and experience. Nevertheless, armed with the knowledge provided by the points of sail diagram and some time spent honing your skills on the water, you’ll soon find yourself navigating effortlessly with style, confidence, and optimal efficiency – leaving any novice sailors enviously wondering how you make it all look so easy! So embrace this powerful tool as it unlocks a world where sailing becomes not only a hobby but also an art form – blending science with intuition and exhilaration with precision. Bon voyage!

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Yacht Crew Positions and Salaries

The organisational structure onboard a superyacht follows a strong hierarchy based upon a military model. Exact job duties and lines of authority are set and strictly adhered to. This hierarchy is followed on the vast majority of yachts; however, responsibilities of the crew on smaller yachts are often merged.

There are four departments on yachts with clear organisational structure:

• Deck (including Bridge) – Safety, passage delivery, maintenance of the yacht's exterior, guest outdoor activities
• Engineering – Safety and smooth operational running of the yacht
• Interior – Housekeeping, guest wellbeing, activities, accounting
• Galley – Food preparation, stock control, hygiene, galley maintenance

The top of the hierarchy on each yacht is the Captain , who reports to the yacht owner either directly, or through a representative or a yacht management company.

Salaries vary and depend on the yacht size, use, type and location, as well as the experience and qualification of the crew member. We included typical salaries of crew based on the data available from reputable industry sources, as well as our research of over 60,000 crew registered with us.

Deck Positions

The primary duty of the Captain is the overall safe manning and operation of the yacht. Yacht Captain is responsible for the vessel, yacht crew, owner and guests, including personnel management, shipyard/project management, legal and regulatory compliance, accounting, achieving owners' objectives, and answers to the owner regarding all decisions.

First Mate / Chief Officer

The First Mate or Chief Officer is the right hand of the Captain. Takes command of the yacht from Captain when required. Shares Captain's responsibilities as required.

Bosun / Lead Deckhand

Bosuns are usually experienced Deckhands with additional responsibilities. They are in charge of Deckhands onboard the yacht and often spend a lot of time with guests during outdoor activities. The Bosun is normally the main tender driver.

Responsible for the maintenance of the exterior of the yacht and keeping it in pristine condition at all times. Deckhands also assist in maintaining, cleaning and operating yacht's tenders.

Engineering Positions

Chief engineer.

Responsible for the Engineering Department and for all technical aspects of the boat and its equipment. The Chief Engineer's duties include overseeing all mechanical and electrical operations, ensuring all planned maintenance takes place and liaising with subcontractors.

Second / Third Engineer

The Second and Third Engineers report directly to the Chief Engineer. They assist in maintaining all mechanical and electrical operations of the yacht.

ETO / AV/IT Officer

Electro-Technical Officer (ETO) and AV/IT Officer are in charge of daily maintenance of all electronic, computer, audio/visual and communications equipment and their efficient operation. This includes the radio, radar, telephones, satellite communications, navigation systems, computers, Internet connection, interior equipment (TVs, sound systems), etc.

Electrician

The Electrician is responsible for maintenance of all electrical circuits onboard the vessel, circuit breakers, switches, lighting, batteries, etc.

This is an administrative position on large yachts. The Purser is responsible for all operations in the interior department, including inventory, purchasing, provisioning, accounting, organising guest activities, and assisting the Captain with the yachts paperwork.

Chief Steward(ess)

Duties are similar to those of other Steward(ess)es onboard the boat, but on a more senior level, including managing the interior department and training. Small yachts with less crew do not have a Purser. The Chief Steward(ess) is in charge of all the responsibilities normally carried out by the Purser on large yachts.

Steward(ess)

Steward's or Stewardess's main responsibility is to maintain the interior of the yacht and provide the highest standard of care to the owner and guests. They serve food and drinks, prepare guest activities, pack and unpack luggage and are on call for anything that the guests want anytime day or night. On some yachts, they help the deck crew moor the yacht.

The Head/Executive Chef onboard a luxury superyacht is a culinary trained professional responsible for the overall management of the galley department on larger yachts, including guest and crew meals, provisioning, food safety, maintaining strict hygiene standards and financial/budgetary administration.

Assists the Head Chef in all aspects of galley duties. The Sous Chef may be required to independently provide crew meals or guest meals at the direction of the Head Chef.

Crew Chef / Cook

Large yachts employ a separate crew and guest chef. The Crew chef provides meals for the crew.

Other Positions

Many yachts, especially the large ones, have several additional positions. These are often combined with primary roles, e.g. Stewardess / Masseuse or Deckhand / Dive Instructor . The most common are:

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Last updated: Feb 08, 2024

Posted by Rookie Road Staff

Sailing Positions

Positioning in sailing has to do with where your sail is facing and how it is being affected by the wind. In order to keep direction and speed, someone must be paying attention to the speed and direction of the wind and adjusting the sail accordingly. Even a slight miscalculation could be disastrous in sailing. Below, we will take a look at the different positions, duties, and jobs one can have on a sailboat.

Sailing Duties

The people who work on a ship can differ depending on the type of ship. The crew on a crew boat consists of eight people all sitting in a row on the boat. This is different from the crew on a yacht, which includes spinnakers, helmsman, bowmen, and more. Though their duties are different, the objective of both sets of crew is to work with the wind and tides to get to the next destination as quickly and easily as possible. With a yacht, this means dealing with a sail while a crew boat needs to paddle.

While the titles and roles of the various crew members on a sailing boat may vary depending on the league, race, and type of vessel, here are a few common positions you will hear of in sailing:

Tactician/Trimmer

A sailing tactician, also sometimes referred to as a “trimmer,” checks the wind shifts and adjusts the course of the boat accordingly . In races, their job is to guide the boat and the other crew members along the racecourse in order to get them to the finish line as fast as possible. They must take into account the angle of the sail, wind, and tide and then choose which side of the line to favor. Even a small miscalculation by a tactician can mean the end of the race for a whole team. 

Trimmers are often referred to by whichever sail they are in charge of: for instance, the trimmer who works the mainsail will be referred to as the “mainsail trimmer,” while a trimmer who works the foresail will be called a “foresail trimmer.” Trimmers may also be referred to by where on the boat they are stationed (e.g. “port trimmer” and “starboard trimmer”).

A driver, also sometimes referred to as a “helmsman," keeps the boat pointed in the direction that the tactician suggests. As their name suggests, the act of keeping the point pointed in the best possible direction is known as “driving.” Drivers are also responsible for making sure a maximum safe speed is maintained throughout the duration of the race.

A mastman is the main crewmember who assists with the quick hoist of a sail during maneuvers.  This sailor is typically the strongest member of the crew, because they must be able to easily move the sail during strong wind shifts. A mastman will work closely with the bowman and keep in communication with the pitman and captain.

The understudy, also known as the second officer, is the second-in-command and helps manage the crew.  While the tactician or first officer is in charge of navigating the boat in the correct direction, the understudy helps manage the bridge team and makes sure the deck team is acting in accordance with the first officer’s orders. Understudies will also learn the jobs of the mastman, bowman, and pitman to fill in where necessary. Understudies are most often seen on large yachts and superyachts.

The bowman is the crew member that is in charge of the sail . This is a very important job, because once a tactician signals, a bowman must be ready immediately to angle the sail or raise/drop it at a moment’s notice. If a sail is not raised, dropped, or moved in time this can mean a drastic drift off course.

The pitman is similarly-named (and has a similar function to) the pit crew in many automobile racing sports.  On a sailboat, however, the pit crew on a sailing boat is often just one person. The pitman is responsible for resolving any in-race issues with the boat that could cause a disaster or a loss while the race is underway. 

Common things that the pitman may have to deal with are unexpected knots or entanglements in the rigging and ropes of the vessel, which can make it hard to raise or shift the sails as needed. Pitmen will also prefeed sheets and “run the tapes” on sails that are off the breeze to make sure that they do not get tangled. The pitman is also commonly charged with raising and lowering sails when the boat is rounding a mark. 

What are the positions in sailing?

In sailing, position titles can vary based on what type of sailing you are performing, but the most common positions are tacticians/trimmers, a driver, a mastman, an understudy, a bowman, and a pitman.  These positions divide up the various roles and duties on a sailboat, including guiding the ship, raising and lowering sails, undoing tangles and knots, steering, and calling maneuvers.

What is a sailing team called?

A sailing team’s name can differ among boat types. Normally they are called a “crew,” specifically on crew boats where the members are very close together and are forced to work as a team more than any other boat. Teams in a competition can also just be called “sailing teams” at international competitive events such as the Olympics.

What are the positions on a yacht?

Yacht crew positions include pitman, mainsheet trimmer, bowman, helmsman, spinnaker guy trimmer, and spinnaker sheet trimmer. The crew positions on a yacht are more complicated than that of a crew boat or a smaller sailing boat. While there are only six members, as compared to eight on a crew boat, they have more complicated responsibilities dealing with the mainsail as well as other factors involved in a yacht.

Pages Related to Sailing Positions

• How Does Scoring Work in Sailing?
• What Is Sailing?
• History of Sailing
• Sailing Equipment List

Positions on a Racing Sailboat

‍ The success of a racing sailboat depends entirely on the ability of each person on the boat to know and execute their role in high-pressure situations.

While boat-dependent, all positions are some combination of the responsibilities of driver, bow, tactician, trimmer, and pit. The driver makes the final decisions and steers, while the other crew members play various roles providing information, trimming sails, and keeping the boat moving fast.

The fundamental responsibilities of sailboat racing do not change, regardless of the number of people aboard. Someone in a one-person dinghy has to be able to keep track of the course, make tactical decisions, trim sails, steer, watch for new breeze and other boats, and ensure that they are set up for the next leg. On a larger boat, with more sails, more controls, and more required coordination, these jobs still exist and are distributed amongst various crew members. We will go through the basic crew setups of various one-design racing boats from one through four crew members to develop how the increase in crew and complexity begins to distribute the responsibilities of making the boat go fast across the team. Then, we will make some general claims about bigger boats, but as everything gets more confusing in the larger crews, we will not specify too much.

Over years of racing boats of all sizes, I’ve seen these crew roles respond to personal skills, different boat setups, strange habits, and teamwork to the point where everyone can respond to different events seamlessly. Sometimes these roles are perfectly well-defined, but sometimes a quick-thinking crew will switch positions on a dime to make up for a mistake in an entirely unorthodox way that is somehow perfect. On smaller boats, people have different priorities and different ways to work through all their responsibilities, but on all the best boats it is the people who know how to excel in their role, and how to make life easier for all their teammates by knowing exactly what they need, who make a sailboat go. Let’s get into it!

Table of contents

‍ The One-Person Dinghy: It’s All on You

You could argue that sailing, at its most basic, boils down to one sailor, a handful of lines, and a tiller against the breeze and water. Perhaps it would be a ridiculous argument, as sailing has always relied on people working together, but there is something to seeing who can go out there and be the one to make it work the best. When all the responsibilities for every inch of the boat fall on one person, it is interesting to see who has everything in sync the best. There is no specific title for this position, but I suppose you could call them

The Single-Handed Sailor

There are fundamentally three aspects to sailboat racing: boat speed, boat handling, and tactics. The single-handed sailor has to excel in each dimension. The best case study for a single-handed boat is the ILCA Dingy, once known as the Laser, but other notable racers include the Opti, Finn, RS Aero, Moth, and Wazsp classes.  

Boat speed comes down to trimming the sails properly for the angle to the wind. This means adjusting not only how far in and out the sail is, but also tuning specific control lines to give the sail the ideal shape for wind strength and direction. Making micro-adjustments to sail trim while dealing with all the other aspects of the race may not seem like much, but they can make the difference between winning and falling behind. While on larger boats there are entire positions dedicated to this, the single-handed sailor has to deal with this the whole time.

Other factors in boat speed concern steering through the wind shifts and wave sequences properly and keeping the boat flat by hiking out. This often includes being able to shift weight in precise ways to keep the boat optimally balanced and cutting through the waves.

Boat Handling

While boat speed forms the basis of all sailing, it is also crucial to know how to maneuver the boat through course changes. Windows in sailing races are small, and being able to get a boat into a lane is often a fraught affair. Having the confidence to trim the sails properly and maneuver sharply while still maintaining speed is a huge boost to a racer. Turning points at marks or directional switches while tacking and gybing are where many of the gains in a race come, and a clean tack coming into the top mark on port can mean the difference between leading the fleet and having to duck behind a parade of 30 boats. Being able to put on the brakes and accelerate quickly is key in tight spaces along the start line, and is a weapon for the best sailors.

Singlehanded racers have total control over their boat handling. Changes in direction come down to perfect synchronization of sail trim, steering, and body weight, and the single-handed sailor has to account for how every single adjustment affects these maneuvers. Some of the best boat handlers grow up racing single-handed boats; the feel developed sailing solo is hard to beat but requires years of fine-tuning and muscle memory.

All the speed and maneuverability in the world does not do much if you don’t know where to put the boat. Like any sport, the fundamentals are simple, but becoming a master takes a lifetime. The single-handed sailor must hold the entire course, the regularity of the wind shifts, the tendencies of the current, the positions of the other sailors, and their own plans in the front of their minds while pushing the boat as hard as possible.

While this is no place to discuss the intricacies of upwind tactics or the fastest lines on a downwind in different boats, the singlehanded sailor has to be able to think and make decisions tactically then execute those decisions themselves. This is such a large task that bigger boats will often have someone whose entire job is just to call breeze and tactics.

The single-handed sailor is without a doubt a jack-of-all-trades. We will discuss various terms for different crew-members on bigger boats, and while you could use the terms ‘skipper’ or ‘driver’ for the single-handed sailor, this does not quite say it all, so we save these positions for the bigger boats. We will not explicitly break the other boats down by who is in charge of boat speed, boat handling, and tactics, but roles can generally sort into various levels of responsibility for these categories.  

The Two-Person Racer: The Best (or worst) Way to Get to Know Another Person

On a two-person boat, of which common examples include the various 420 classes, the Olympic Classes (470, 49er, Nacra 17) among many others, responsibilities are slightly split, but this distribution comes with the tradeoff of greatly increased complexity and coordination requirements. Double-handed boats tend to have at least two, and often three, sails, require more involved tuning, move much faster, and occasionally require single or double trapezing. The very best doublehanded pairings move as one, but this type of coordination requires both sailors to have an intimate knowledge of their role and the dynamic balance of the boat. Without further ado, the common positions:

The Skipper (Driver)

The skipper of the boat steers the boat. On different types of boats, they have different trimming and setting responsibilities, most often including the mainsheet--though the 49er is a notable exception. You can call them either a skipper or a driver, but you rarely say that ‘you skipper;’ instead, you would say that ‘you drive,’ so the latter term has begun to stick as the position as well.

As they are the person driving the boat, the driver tends to make the final tactical decision. They do this in collaboration with the crew, who is often going to be feeding information about the course and competitors to the driver, but the final decision comes down to the person holding the stick (forgive the vernacular, if you may).

Different double-handed teams often have different dynamics. In some, the driver will primarily be focused on tactics, while the crew has to keep their head in the boat making it go fast, while in others the skipper lets the crew make such calls while focusing on the breeze right in front of them, it all depends. Boat handling requires nigh on perfect coordination, and skippers must keep their crews alerted to any upcoming maneuvers.  

The unsung heroes of many a double-handed pairing, a good driver can sail well with an ok crew, but a crack crew can take a skipper with some potential to the top of the fleet.

Responsible for trimming the headsail and setting and managing the spinnaker on boats that carry them, the crew’s primary roles is to keep the boat going fast. They often can make the small sail trim and control adjustments that the driver cannot. Especially upwind, the crew scans the course for new breeze, other boats, lay lines, and any information that the skipper could need to make the best decisions possible.

A good way to consider some, but not all, skipper-crew relationships is that the crew can get all the micro-considerations out of the way so that the skipper can focus on the big picture. The small picture adjustments in terms of sail control and angle of heel keep the boat moving and the skipper zippered into the feel of the course. In turn, this allows the skipper to plan ahead and keep the crew involved in decision making, making sure that they don’t screw their crew with a crash tack or sudden gybe.

Still, on some teams, the crew makes all of the outside the boat decisions while the driver just drives the boat as fast as they can. This often works with spacier skippers, of which there are many, and highlights the value of a strong-willed crew. Crews are often on-the-water coaches for high-strung skippers and are key to the success of a team. On more athletic boats, a crew can crucially contribute to boat speed and handling through trimming, ooching, and body-weight adjustments.

All of this is to say that a crew, both as a single person on a double-handed boat and as an ensemble on larger boats, is never to be considered an accessory to the skipper, but are crucial parts of a competitive racing team.

The Three or Four Person Boat: I Thought That Was Your Job!

Having outlined the general dynamics of a skipper-crew pairing, it is not particularly helpful to discuss exact boat setups and interactions. From here, we will provide terms and positions with general roles. These are all subject to change, but once you reach boats of three or more people, roles become highly specialized, as boats of this size begin to get complex enough that you cannot do everything on your own. Let’s run through the general roles that must be filled on boats of up to four, with the knowledge that these can be switched around and combined depending on skill, boat setup, and breeze.

Things change yet they stay ever the same. The bigger the boat, the more boat the driver has to deal with, but the role does not fundamentally change. The driver still has their hand on the stick, and, despite the best attempts of various crewmembers, still is the final decision maker on the boat. Sometimes they will trim the mainsheet as well, but other times they will leave this to a member of the crew

The bigger the boat, the less running around the skipper does and the more focused they are on sailing the perfect line through the fleet. Even their ability to scan the course and make tactical evaluations wanes on the bigger boats, as they must put more trust in their crews to make the right reads. They are still ultimately responsible for putting the boat in the right spot, but they are ultimately unable to control everything that is happening on the boat.

Debatably the easiest analog to the crew on a double-handed boat, the bow is, if nothing else, the most likely person on the boat to get soaking wet. Sitting the farthest forward, they are occasionally responsible for trimming the jib--particularly on three-person boats--but primarily have to deal with setting the spinnaker and dealing with front-of-boat controls.

They can play a role calling tactics, breeze, and other boats, but because they are so often busy with the chaos of boat handling in crucial spots and are often far away from the skipper, they mostly need to focus on their role setting the chute and managing the complications near the front of the boat.

Trimmer/Tactician

Often sitting at the hip of the skipper, different boats have different assignments for their trimmers, which can range from main-trimming across the whole course to only touching the spinnaker off the breeze to controlling the jib instead of the bow. Regardless of the particulars, they need to make the adjustments that keep the boat moving fast, and need to be continually in sync with how the skipper wants to sail.

The person in this position is often responsible for communicating details about the course and from the rest of the crew to the driver. Their role gives them more time to look around and make fine adjustments, rather than having a continuous responsibility, so they are in the perfect position to survey the information at hand and collaborate with the skipper on decision making.

On three-person boats, this is generally one person playing both roles in active collaboration with a driver. On certain four-person boats, this can lead to two trimmers who alternate between calling tactics and trimming different sails depending on the leg. Other times, this role is fully bifurcated, with one person trimming and another entirely responsible for looking around and making calls, with only a menial role controlling the sails, but this looks different on every team.

While Nascar has its pit crews, beginning at four-person boats, sailing just has its pit person. As boats get bigger, sails and various lines are more prone to twists, knots, and the generalized snarls that give sailors across the world excuses to flex their famous propensity for swearing.

The pit is responsible for eliminating, or at least minimizing, these disasters via preventative prep. They do not have a conventional job trimming sails, per se, but they are the ones who make sure that everyone else can the sails set cleanly. They prefeed sheets, ‘run the tapes’ on off-the-breeze sails to make sure they aren’t twisted and are notorious neat freaks. They often are responsible for raising and lowering sails around mark roundings; these events are almost always chaotic and never go according to plan, so it is the pit who has to coordinate the chaos as much as possible and clean up the mess in time for the next explosion. Unheralded, often stuck below decks, the pit can be the difference between a boat running smoothly and a stream of curses over a huge gash in a thousand dollar spinnaker.

Now This Is Getting Ridiculous: The Road to Specialization

As of this point, we have covered the key roles on just about any sized boat. As you get to bigger and more specialized boats, the situations will call for more and more crew members doing increasingly focused work. While having talented sailors on a larger boat is no less important than having them on a smaller dinghy, there are simply not that many parts that have to be moving all the time to fully occupy more than a few people at a time.

Still, when they are needed, during gybes, mark roundings, sets, and douses, these extra crew members are crucial. On certain boats, there is an entire position dedicated to trimming the twings during gybes; the position is only slightly more serious than the sound of the ropes. Still, the other crew members are so busy during the gybes that they need the extra pair of hands. Furthermore, having a sharp sailor in a position like that ensures another pair of eyes and hands to spot problems and step in if needed. Knowledge and quick action are unlikely to go unappreciated on any boat, even if it is only in a very specific setting.

There is, however, one more term for extra crew members on boats of this size, and it is distinctly unspecialized: meet the ‘rail meat.’ On sufficiently big boats, where heeling is slow but a fact of life, every now and then you just need a big ole guy to sit on the edge and hang out to windward. A flat boat is a fast boat, and sometimes you just need someone hanging out over the rail, skilled and mobile or not.

Finally, on high-performance boats, like America’s Cup boats or the new-fangled SailGP league, rail meat is replaced by ‘grinders,’ who specialize in turning hydraulic cranks like they’re in a CrossFit gym. Sometimes drawn from other sports, famously including rugby players on New Zealand’s America’s Cup team, grinders may not have the tactical acumen to step into a single-handed boat and win the day, but they are key pieces to winning teams and are no less a sailor than anyone else.

Hopefully, next time you go down to the water and someone tells you they need someone to run their bow, this has done enough for you to know exactly what you’ve gotten yourself into! Happy sailing!

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Gabriel Hannon

I have been sailing since I was 7 years old. Since then I've been a US sailing certified instructor for over 8 years, raced at every level of one-design and college sailing in fleet, team, and match racing, and love sharing my knowledge of sailing with others!

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Sailing positions explained

A primer for the different roles onboard one of the seven yachts that will sail around for nine months competing in the 2014/15 volvo ocean race..

October 12, 2014

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We've had a lot of coverage lately of the 2014/15 Volvo Ocean Race in the build-up to its start on Saturday.

We'll have plenty more over the next nine months as the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing boat, the Azzam , and six other yachts traverse 38,739 nautical miles around the globe along nine different legs that will take the sailors everywhere from South Africa to Abu Dhabi to China to, finally, Sweden.

To help give an understanding of what those sailors are actually out there doing, we provide the below explainer:

Skipper (the boss): Is the team manager, captain, chief executive and ultimately decision maker on strategy and tactics, working in tandem with the navigator.

Nagivator (the nerd): Gets the boat from point-to-point as fast as possible, using wind and current. Has lots of hardware and software and is a meteorology expert.

Trimmer (the power): Trims the sails and responsible for boat speed. Keeps a fast sail shape, works with the driver and other trimmers to reach the goals set by the skipper and navigator.

Driver (the pilot): Has the skill to steer boat fast in all conditions for long periods. Knows how to surf the waves and keep the boat racing fast, sailing on the edge in tough conditions.

Bowman (the acrobat): Works at the bow – the wettest, coldest and most exposed end of the boat. Changes sails or helps with manoeuvres. Fast, agile and sometimes a bit masochistic.

Pitman (the pivot): Is the lynchpin at the centre of every operation. Choreographs the manoeuvres, controls the haylards lines and coordinates between the drivers and the bow team.

Boat captain (the repairman): Makes sure the boat is in optimum condition throughout the race and manages maintenance and repairs onboard. Usually from an engineering background.

Watch leader (the motivator): Is responsible for one "watch" – a group of sailors working together on deck. Makes sure that the right people are doing the right job at the right time.

Onboard reporter (the storyteller): Captures and delivers the stories and action while at sea. Not allowed under any circumstance to take any part in sailing.

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A to Z of Nautical Terms: A Complete Glossary of Boat Terminology

Are you a new boat owner? Whether you bought a jet ski or a 40-foot cabin cruiser, you’re going to need to understand the lingo while you’re out on the water. Here’s a glossary of basic nautical terms to have you sounding like a sailor.

Toward the stern of the vessel.

A sail position with the wind striking on its leeward side.

Around or near the stern of the vessel.

At a right-angle to the boat’s center-line.

Lashing the helm to the leeward side to ride out bad weather without the sails set.

The center of the deck of the vessel between the fore-and-aft.

Automatic Identification System.

Apparent Wind

The speed and direction of the wind combined with the boat’s movement and the true wind speed and direction.

To look behind the boat while driving in reverse.

Automatic Radar Plotting Aid.

Athwartships

At a right-angle to the aft-and-fore line of the vessel.

The act of measuring the angular distance on the horizon circle in a clockwise method, typically between a heavenly body and an observer.

When the wind starts to shift in an anti-clockwise direction.

Back a sail

Sheeting the sail to the windward direction, so the wind fills the sail on the leeward side.

The stay supports the aft from the mast, preventing its forward movement.

Baggywrinkle

The teased-out plaited rope wound around the stays or shrouds preventing chaffing.

Iron or lead weights are fixed in a low-access area of the vessel or on the keel to stabilize the boat.

A flexible and lightweight strip feeds into the sail leech’s batten pocket, supporting the roach.

Ballast Keel

A ballast bolted to the keel, increasing the vessel’s stability to prevent capsizing.

The widest point of the vessel or a traverse member supporting the deck. On the beam, objects are at a right-angle to the center-line.

Taking the action of steering the vessel away from the wind.

To tag a zig-zagging approach into the wind or close-hauling with alternate tacks.

The object’s direction from the observer measured in magnetic or true degrees.

To fasten the rope around the cleat using a figure-8 knot.

Securing the sail to the spar before hoisting it or connecting two ropes using a knot.

A sleeping quarters on a boat or a slip occupied by a vessel in a marina or harbor.

The loop or bend in a knot.

The round, lower part of the hull where the water collects.

The pulley fixed inside a plastic or wooden casing with a rope running around a sheave and changing to pulling direction.

Boot-Topping

The narrow-colored stripe is painted between the topside enamel and bottom paint.

The heeling action of the boat when it slews to the broadside while running downwind. Abroach usually occurs in heavy seas.

Broad Reach

The point of sailing the vessel between a run and the beam reach with the wind blowing over the quarter.

The partitioning wall in the vessel athwartship.

A measurement of distance equal to 0.1-sea mile, 185-meters, or 200-yards.

Center-Line

The center of the vessel along the aft-to-fore line.

Center-Board

A board lowers through a slot on the keel for reducing leeway.

The fitting slipping over the boom like a claw. It attaches to the main sheet after you finish reefing the sail.

Chart Datum

The reference level on the charts below which the low tide level. The sounding features below the chart datum. The datum level varies depending on country and area.

The metal, wooden, or plastic fitting used to secure ropes.

Close-Hauled

The skill of sailing close to the wind, also known as beating.

The lower, aft corner of the sail where the leech and foot meet.

Close Reach

The point where you’re sailing between the beam reach and the close-hauled or when the wind blows toward the forward of the beam.

The direction that you steer the vessel in degrees. Mariners can use true or magnetic readings or use a compass to plot the course.

Close-Winded

The act of sailing a boat close to the wind.

The rope loop at either end of the line reef points or an eye in a sail.

The difference between the direction indicated by the magnetic meridian and the compass needle, caused by carrying metal objects aboard the vessel.

Sailing with the wind blowing to the aft, in line with the center-line of the vessel.

Displacement

The displacement hull design displaces boat weight in the water and is only supported by its buoyancy.

The weight of the water displaced by the vessel is equal to the vessel’s weight.

The rope used to pull down the spar or sail.

To float the vessel with the wind or current. Or the distance covered by the boat while drifting in the current, measured in time.

The distance between the lowest point on the keel and the center-line of the vessel measured as a vertical distance.

The sea anchor thrown over the stern of a life raft or boat or to reduce drift.

Digital Selective Calling (a function on Marine radios ).

A retractable keel drawn into the vessel’s hull.

Emergency Position Indication Radio Beacon.

Estimated Position.

Estimated Time of Departure.

Estimated Time of Arrival.

The fitting adjusting the feeding line allows you to change the direction of the lead line.

The raised border on cabin tables, chart tables, preventing objects from falling off the surface.

Measurement of water depth and rope lengths.

• 1 Fathom = 6-feet = 1.83-meters.

The vessel positioning plotted by two or more positioning lines.

The vertical distance between the top of the deck and the waterline.

The closest stay running between the masthead and stemhead, hankering the mainsail.

A large-size headsail is available in various sizes, overlapping the mainsail before hoisting in fresh to light winds on all sailing points.

Two concentric rings pivot at right-angles to keep objects horizontal despite the swaying motion of the boat.

Global Navigation Satellite System.

Global Maritime Distress and Safety System.

To change tack by turning the boat into the eye of the wind.

Booming out the headsail in a windward position using the whisker pole to hold it on the opposite side of the mainsail.

The fitting anchoring the mast to the boom, allowing free movement in all directions.

This metal rail surrounds the boat’s edges, allowing easy gripping to prevent falling overboard.

Turning the stern through the wind to change from one tack to another.

The spinnaker guy controls the steadying rope for the spar through the aft-fore position of the spinnaker pole. The foreguy keeps the spinnaker pole in the forward position.

Global Positioning System.

The rope hoisting the lower sails.

Highest Astronomical Tide.

The fitting for attaching the sail’s luff to a stay.

The deck opening provides the crew with access to the berth or cabin interior.

The streamlined surround of a forestay featuring the groove allows for the sliding attachment of the luff sides of the headsail.

Head-to-Wind

When the bow of the vessel points into the direction of the wind.

The forward motion of the vessel through the water.

The toilet.

The action of backing the jib and lashing the tiller to the leeward side in rough weather conditions. The heave-to encourages the vessel to reduce headway and lie quietly.

When the vessel exaggeratedly leans to one side.

International Maritime Organization.

International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.

International Telecommunication Union

The lines on weather maps joining places with equal atmospheric pressure.

The temporary device for replacing damaged or lost gear.

The line running from aft-to-fore on both sides of the vessel. The jackstays allow for the clipping attachment of safety harnesses to prevent being lost at sea when falling overboard.

A secondary, smaller, lightweight anchor.

A dual-masted sailboat featuring a mizzen mast that’s slightly smaller than its mainmast, with a stepped forward position of the rudder post/stock.

The center-line of the vessel features the attachment of the ballast keel, allowing for the lowering of the center-board.

Kicking Strap

The line for pulling down the boom or keeping it in the horizontal position when on a run or reach.

A short length of line attached to an important object that you don’t want to lose, such as the jet ski key. The lanyard can connect to your wrist or lifejacket.

The aft edge of the triangular sail. Both side-edges of a square sail.

Lowest Astronomical Tide.

The shore on which the wind is blowing.

The natural tendency of vessels to bear away from the direction of the wind.

Moving in a direction away from the wind. The direction in which the wind is blowing.

The vessel’s leaning to one side due to improper distribution of weight in the boat’s hull.

The leading edge of the sail. Luffing up is turning the head of the boat into the wind.

The sideways motion off course resulting from the wind blowing on one side of the hull and sails.

The instrument for measuring the distance and speed of a boat traveling through the water. It is also the act of recording the details of a voyage in a logbook.

Marinized engine

A car engine or motorbike motor adapted for use in watercraft.

Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

The keel socket locating the base of the mast.

Measured Mile

The distance marked on charts measures one nautical mile between islands at sea or onshore ranges.

The short after-mast on the yawl or ketch.

This imaginary longitudinal line circling the earth, passing through both poles, cutting at right-angles through the equator.

Mean Low Water Neaps.

Mean High Water Neaps.

Mean High Water Springs.

Mean Low Water Springs.

Maritime Mobile Service Identity.

The rope used for pulling out the sail’s foot.

Overall Length (LOA)

The extreme length of the vessel. The measurement from the aftmost point of the stern to the foremost points of the bow. This measurement excludes the self-steering gear, bowsprit, etc.

An emergency call requesting immediate assistance.

The bowline on a tender or dinghy for towing or making fast.

To gradually let out the rope.

The left-hand side of the vessel when looking forward.

Point of Sailing

The angles of the wind allowing for the sailing of the boat. Or the boat’s course relative to its direction and the direction of the wind.

Your vessel is on its port track when the wind is striking the boat’s port side first, and the mainsail is out to the starboard side.

Line of Position/Position Line

The line on charts shows the bearing of the vessel and the position where the boat mist lie. Or two positional lines providing a location fix.

The steel guard rail fitted to the bow to provide additional safety for the crew when working around the boat’s edge.

The steel guard rail fitted around the stern of the boat to prevent the crew from falling overboard.

The section of the vessel midway between the beam and the stern.

The difference in water levels between the high and low tides is the range of tides. Or the distance at which you can see the light.

The act of reducing the sail surface area through folding or rolling additional materials onto the forestay or boom.

Reefing Pennant

The sturdy line allowing you to pull down the leech cringle or luff to the boom while reefing.

When sailing with the wind blowing onto the beam, with all sailing points between close-hauled and running.

Riding Sail

The small sail you hoist to maintain the steerage way during stormy weather.

The imaginary line cuts through all meridians at the same angle. Or the course of the vessel moving in a fixed direction.

Rigging Screw

The deck fitting allowing for tensioning of the standing rigging.

The act of sailing with the wind to the aft of the vessel and with the sails eased into the wide-out, full position.

The curve in a leech sail extending beyond the direct line formed from clew to head.

Running Rigging

All moving lines like halyards and sheets used for trimming and setting sails.

Search and Rescue.

A vessel with two or more masts and the mainmast featured in the aftermost position.

Search and Rescue Transponder.

The toe-rail holes allowing water to drain off the deck.

The room in which the vessel can maneuver clear of submerged dangers.

The shut-off valve for the underwater outlet or inlet passing through the vessel’s hull.

This is French for “radio silence.” You’ll use it when reporting a distress call or incident at sea.

The act of hoisting a sail. Or how the sails fit or the direction of a tidal stream or current.

A procedure word for identifying safety calls.

A steel link featuring a removable bolt crossing the open end. The shackle comes in various designs, from “S” to “U” shapes and more.

The cables or ropes typically fund in pairs, leading from the mast to the chainplates at the deck level. These shrouds prevent the mast from falling to the side, and it’s part of your standing rigging.

The rope attaching to the boom to the sail’s clew allows for the trimming and control over the sail.

Skin Fitting

A through-hull fitting featuring a hole in its skin allows for air and water passing. The seacock is the accessory used for sealing the cavity when not in use.

A boat with a single-masted design for one headsail and one mainsail.

The general term for any metal or wooden pole on board a boat. The pole gives shape to the sails.

Safety of Life at Sea.

Speed Over the Ground

A lightweight, large balloon-shaped sail for running or reacting.

The horizontal struts attach to the mast and extend to the shrouds to assist with supporting the mast.

The act of joining wires or ropes using a weaving process interlacing the fibers in the cable or rope.

The sail will stall if the airflow over the sail surface breaks up, causing the vessel to lose its momentum.

Standing Part

The part of the line you don’t use when making a knot. Or the part of a rope you use to tie around the knot.

The metal post bolted to the deck in an upright position to support the guard railing.

Standing Rigging

The stays and shrouds provide permanent support to the mast.

Starboard Tack

The vessel is on the starboard tack when the boom is out to post, and the wind strikes the boat’s starboard side.

The right-hand side of the vessel when looking forward.

The rope or wire supports the mast in the fore-and-aft direction. It is a part of the standing rigging for your boat.

The sternward movement of the vessel towards the backward direction.

Steerage Way

The vessel has steerage when it reaches sufficient speed, allowing for steering or answering the helm.

The loop of rope or wire attaches the spar to the block to make a sling.

The railing around the vessel’s stern prevents the crew from falling overboard. Modern yachts do not have the elegant wooden railing of older models. Instead, they feature tubular steel or aluminum railings, called Pushpits.

Telegraph Buoy

The buoy marks the position of a submerged cable.

To pull on the end of the rope or cable, wound around a winch.

The compass mounted over the captain’s berth, allowing for the easy reference to what’s going on in the vessel’s helm.

The metal fitting forming eyes at the end of cables, wires, or ropes.

A description for any small boat, usually inflatable models. These boats will take supplies and people between a larger vessel and the shore.

Thermal Wind

The wind occurring from the difference in the heating of the sea and the land by the sun. The sun heats the land faster than the sea, resulting in the onshore wind from the sea replacing the air rising over the land, causing the “sea breeze” phenomenon.

Thumb Cleat

A small cleat featuring a single horn.

The wooden pegs featuring vertical pairs in the gunwale for constraining the oars for rowing.

Topping Lift

The rope linking the mast to the boom end. It supports the boom, allowing for its lowering and raising.

The progress on the vessel’s journey over the ocean. The trajectory line of the boat.

The sides of the hull between the waterline and the deck.

The netting stretching across the hulls of a catamaran.

A watch period or watch duty at the helm of the vessel.

Traverse beams forming part of the stern and fixed to the sternpost of a wooden ship.

Tricolor Lamp

A lamp displaying red in proper port sectors, green in the starboard sectors, and white astern. Some authorities permit the tri-color light on smaller boats instead of conventional stern and bow lights.

Turk’s Head

A decorative knot featuring variable numbers of interwoven strands that form a closed loop.

The direction and velocity of wind measured by stationary observers. Apparent wind is wind experienced by moving objects.

Sturdy steel fittings used for attaching standing rigging to the spar or mast.

The low, forward corner of the sail. Or the action of turning the boat through the wind to get it to blow on the other side of the sails.

Sailing close-hauled to work windward on an alternate course. The wind is on one side then the other.

The low strip of steel, wood, or strapping running along the edge of the deck. You’ll use it in combination with the hand railing to hold your feet to the deck to prevent falling overboard.

The rise and fall of the ocean are caused by the moon’s gravitational effect on the earth and the ocean.

The line moving from the mast had to the spar or the boom used in raising it.

To adjust the sail angle using sheets to achieve optimal efficiency from the sail. Or it describes the action of adjusting the load, influencing the fore-and-aft angle at which it floats.

The course of the boat making good on its travel plan. A fitting of on the boom or mast to the slide on the sail fit. The fitting along which the traveler runs for altering the sheet tension.

The speed and direction of the wind when anchored, stationary on the water, or land.

Turn Buckle

The apparatus used for tightening the standing rigging on the vessel.

A line used in raising something like a spinnaker pole vertically.

The vessel is underway when it releases it fastening to shore when it is not aground or at anchor.

See kicking strap.

The wind will veer when shifting in a clockwise direction. Veering can also mean paying out anchor rope or cable in a controlled manner.

Velocity Made Good

Very High Frequency

The disturbed water left behind (astern) the boat as it moves forward in the water, usually caused by a motor.

Weather Helm

The tendency of the vessel to turn into the wind.

The distance between the radio waves.

Weather Side

The side of the vessel to which the wind is blowing.

World Geodetic Survey of 1984 (most common chart datum).

A mechanical device featuring a cable or line attached to a motor. The winch pulls the boat aboard the trailer and helps with the vessel’s launch from the trailer. The winch also gives more pulling power to withdrawing nets or other apparatus from the water.

Whisker Pole

A lightweight pole used for holding the clew out of the headsail when on a run.

The winch features a vertical handle and a horizontal shaft used in hauling up the anchor chain.

The parts of the vessel that increase the drag on the boat. Examples would be the spars, rigging, etc.

The direction from which the wind blows toward the wind (the opposite way to leeward).

Cross Track Error. The perpendicular distance between two waypoints off track.

A dual-masted vessel with its mizzen stepped aft of its rudder post/stock.

John is an experienced journalist and veteran boater. He heads up the content team at BoatingBeast and aims to share his many years experience of the marine world with our readers.

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Sailing Terms Everyone Should Know

By: American Sailing Sailboats

Knowing the right sailing terms to use on board a boat is not JUST a way of sounding super cool and impressing your friends. (Though it works for that, too.) It’s actually very useful, and sometimes crucial in communicating while you’re sailing. Some of the vocabulary used on board boats can sound arcane, which it is! That’s part of what’s fun about it; we’re still using terms that have been used by sailors for hundreds of years. So when you know your terminology, you’re participating in the grand sailing tradition, and you don’t have to say, “Can you hand me that…thing?”

photo by b. cohen

Here are the key sailing terms you’ll want to know as you begin learning to sail !

• Port: Facing forward, this is anything to the left of the boat. When you’re onboard, you can use this term pretty much any time you would normally say “left.” Starboard: Facing forward, this is anything to the right of the boat. Same deal as “port”–only the opposite.
• Bow/Stern: The bow is the front of the boat, the stern is the back. Anything near the front of the boat is referred to as being “forward,” and anything toward the back is “aft” or “astern.”
• Point of Sail: The boat’s direction relative to the wind. For example, if you’re going straight into the wind, your point of sail is called “in irons.” (Note: This isn’t a good place to be!) If the wind is blowing straight over the side of the boat, that’s called a “beam reach.” There are 8 commonly used points of sail, and it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with them before going out.
• Helm: Where you steer the boat. Usually this is a big wheel, but on smaller boats it can be a tiller, which is basically a long wooden stick. Either of these can be used to control the boat’s rudder.
• Keel: The keel is a long, heavy fin on the bottom of the boat that sticks down into the water. It provides stability and is the reason why modern sailboats are nearly impossible to capsize.
• Heeling: This is the term for when a sailboat leans over in the water, pushed by the wind. There’s nothing else like the thrill of heeling over as your sails fill and your speed picks up!
• Tack: This term has two distinct meanings, both of them very important. As a verb, to tack is to change direction by turning the bow of the boat through the wind. As a noun, your tack is the course you are on relative to the wind. For example, if the wind is blowing over the port side, you are on a port tack. If it’s blowing over the starboard side, you’re on a…you guessed it…starboard tack.
• Jibe: A jibe is another way of changing direction, in which you bring the stern of the boat through the wind. Whether you choose to tack or jibe entirely depends on the situation–what’s around you, and the direction of the wind.
• Windward: The side of the boat closest to the wind. When heeling over, this will always be the high side.
• Leeward: The side of the boat furthest from the wind. When heeling over, this will always be the low side.
• Lines: On board a boat, this is what you say instead of “ropes.”
• Mainsail: The big triangular sail just aft of the sailboat’s mast. As the name suggests, this is the boat’s largest and most important sail. Running along its bottom edge, the mainsail has a thick pole called the boom.
• Jib: The next most common sail on any boat. The jib can always be found forward of the mast, and unlike the mainsail, does not have a boom.

  Getting familiar with these sailing terms is an important step. Not only will you sound like you know what you’re doing, you’ll quickly begin to realize that with the right practice and training, you really DO know what you’re doing!

Try our online sailing term quizzes: Sailing Terms 1 | Sailing Terms 2 | Sailing Terms 3 | Sailing Terms 4

Learning to Sail

• ASA 101: What You’ll Learn ASA 101 is your introduction to Basic Keelboat Sailboat and is your key to a lifetime of sailing.
• How To Sail Sailing a boat is part art and part skill but few activities offer such a variety of pleasures as sailing. Something special occurs when you cast off the lines and leave your cares at the dock.
• 7 Tips For The Beginning Sailor There are the obvious things you need when you go sailing, sunscreen, a hat, a windbreaker, non-skid shoes, and wind. However, what do you really need to be ready to head out on the water?
• How To Learn To Sail You won’t have to buy a boat or learn a new language or buy a new wardrobe to get a taste for sailing. You can dictate how much you want to experience.
• Learning To Sail Is Just The Beginning Sailing means different things to different people. At ASA we understand that learning to sail is just the beginning of a relationship with a lifestyle that is infectious. Where will sailing take you? We have a few ideas but how you view sailing is the most important.
• What Is Your Role on a Boat? What type of sailor are you and what role do you take on the boat? Your ASA sailing education will prepare you to be a skipper on a sailing vessel and with that comes the responsibility of keeping your crew safe and ensuring the safety of the vessel you are sailing.

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The Ultimate Guide to Sail Types and Rigs (with Pictures)

What's that sail for? Generally, I don't know. So I've come up with a system. I'll explain you everything there is to know about sails and rigs in this article.

What are the different types of sails? Most sailboats have one mainsail and one headsail. Typically, the mainsail is a fore-and-aft bermuda rig (triangular shaped). A jib or genoa is used for the headsail. Most sailors use additional sails for different conditions: the spinnaker (a common downwind sail), gennaker, code zero (for upwind use), and stormsail.

Each sail has its own use. Want to go downwind fast? Use a spinnaker. But you can't just raise any sail and go for it. It's important to understand when (and how) to use each sail. Your rigging also impacts what sails you can use.

On this page:

Different sail types, the sail plan of a bermuda sloop, mainsail designs, headsail options, specialty sails, complete overview of sail uses, mast configurations and rig types.

This article is part 1 of my series on sails and rig types. Part 2 is all about the different types of rigging. If you want to learn to identify every boat you see quickly, make sure to read it. It really explains the different sail plans and types of rigging clearly.

Guide to Understanding Sail Rig Types (with Pictures)

First I'll give you a quick and dirty overview of sails in this list below. Then, I'll walk you through the details of each sail type, and the sail plan, which is the godfather of sail type selection so to speak.

Click here if you just want to scroll through a bunch of pictures .

Here's a list of different models of sails: (Don't worry if you don't yet understand some of the words, I'll explain all of them in a bit)

• Jib - triangular staysail
• Genoa - large jib that overlaps the mainsail
• Spinnaker - large balloon-shaped downwind sail for light airs
• Gennaker - crossover between a Genoa and Spinnaker
• Code Zero or Screecher - upwind spinnaker
• Drifter or reacher - a large, powerful, hanked on genoa, but made from lightweight fabric
• Windseeker - tall, narrow, high-clewed, and lightweight jib
• Trysail - smaller front-and-aft mainsail for heavy weather
• Storm jib - small jib for heavy weather

I have a big table below that explains the sail types and uses in detail .

I know, I know ... this list is kind of messy, so to understand each sail, let's place them in a system.

The first important distinction between sail types is the placement . The mainsail is placed aft of the mast, which simply means behind. The headsail is in front of the mast.

Generally, we have three sorts of sails on our boat:

• Mainsail: The large sail behind the mast which is attached to the mast and boom
• Headsail: The small sail in front of the mast, attached to the mast and forestay (ie. jib or genoa)
• Specialty sails: Any special utility sails, like spinnakers - large, balloon-shaped sails for downwind use

The second important distinction we need to make is the functionality . Specialty sails (just a name I came up with) each have different functionalities and are used for very specific conditions. So they're not always up, but most sailors carry one or more of these sails.

They are mostly attached in front of the headsail, or used as a headsail replacement.

The specialty sails can be divided into three different categories:

• downwind sails - like a spinnaker
• light air or reacher sails - like a code zero
• storm sails

The parts of any sail

Whether large or small, each sail consists roughly of the same elements. For clarity's sake I've took an image of a sail from the world wide webs and added the different part names to it:

• Head: Top of the sail
• Tack: Lower front corner of the sail
• Foot: Bottom of the sail
• Luff: Forward edge of the sail
• Leech: Back edge of the sail
• Clew: Bottom back corner of the sail

So now we speak the same language, let's dive into the real nitty gritty.

Basic sail shapes

Roughly speaking, there are actually just two sail shapes, so that's easy enough. You get to choose from:

• square rigged sails
• fore-and-aft rigged sails

I would definitely recommend fore-and-aft rigged sails. Square shaped sails are pretty outdated. The fore-and-aft rig offers unbeatable maneuverability, so that's what most sailing yachts use nowadays.

Square sails were used on Viking longships and are good at sailing downwind. They run from side to side. However, they're pretty useless upwind.

A fore-and-aft sail runs from the front of the mast to the stern. Fore-and-aft literally means 'in front and behind'. Boats with fore-and-aft rigged sails are better at sailing upwind and maneuvering in general. This type of sail was first used on Arabic boats.

As a beginner sailor I confuse the type of sail with rigging all the time. But I should cut myself some slack, because the rigging and sails on a boat are very closely related. They are all part of the sail plan .

A sail plan is made up of:

• Mast configuration - refers to the number of masts and where they are placed
• Sail type - refers to the sail shape and functionality
• Rig type - refers to the way these sails are set up on your boat

There are dozens of sails and hundreds of possible configurations (or sail plans).

For example, depending on your mast configuration, you can have extra headsails (which then are called staysails).

The shape of the sails depends on the rigging, so they overlap a bit. To keep it simple I'll first go over the different sail types based on the most common rig. I'll go over the other rig types later in the article.

Bermuda Sloop: the most common rig

Most modern small and mid-sized sailboats have a Bermuda sloop configuration . The sloop is one-masted and has two sails, which are front-and-aft rigged. This type of rig is also called a Marconi Rig. The Bermuda rig uses a triangular sail, with just one side of the sail attached to the mast.

The mainsail is in use most of the time. It can be reefed down, making it smaller depending on the wind conditions. It can be reefed down completely, which is more common in heavy weather. (If you didn't know already: reefing is skipper terms for rolling or folding down a sail.)

In very strong winds (above 30 knots), most sailors only use the headsail or switch to a trysail.

The headsail powers your bow, the mainsail powers your stern (rear). By having two sails, you can steer by using only your sails (in theory - it requires experience). In any case, two sails gives you better handling than one, but is still easy to operate.

Let's get to the actual sails. The mainsail is attached behind the mast and to the boom, running to the stern. There are multiple designs, but they actually don't differ that much. So the following list is a bit boring. Feel free to skip it or quickly glance over it.

• Square Top racing mainsail - has a high performance profile thanks to the square top, optional reef points
• Racing mainsail - made for speed, optional reef points
• Cruising mainsail - low-maintenance, easy to use, made to last. Generally have one or multiple reef points.
• Full-Batten Cruising mainsail - cruising mainsail with better shape control. Eliminates flogging. Full-length battens means the sail is reinforced over the entire length. Generally have one or multiple reef points.
• High Roach mainsail - crossover between square top racing and cruising mainsail, used mostly on cats and multihulls. Generally have one or multiple reef points.
• Mast Furling mainsail - sails specially made to roll up inside the mast - very convenient but less control; of sail shape. Have no reef points
• Boom Furling mainsail - sails specially made to roll up inside the boom. Have no reef points.

The headsail is the front sail in a front-and-aft rig. The sail is fixed on a stay (rope, wire or rod) which runs forward to the deck or bowsprit. It's almost always triangular (Dutch fishermen are known to use rectangular headsail). A triangular headsail is also called a jib .

Headsails can be attached in two ways:

• using roller furlings - the sail rolls around the headstay
• hank on - fixed attachment

Types of jibs:

Typically a sloop carries a regular jib as its headsail. It can also use a genoa.

• A jib is a triangular staysail set in front of the mast. It's the same size as the fore-triangle.
• A genoa is a large jib that overlaps the mainsail.

What's the purpose of a jib sail? A jib is used to improve handling and to increase sail area on a sailboat. This helps to increase speed. The jib gives control over the bow (front) of the ship, making it easier to maneuver the ship. The mainsail gives control over the stern of the ship. The jib is the headsail (frontsail) on a front-and-aft rig.

The size of the jib is generally indicated by a number - J1, 2, 3, and so on. The number tells us the attachment point. The order of attachment points may differ per sailmaker, so sometimes J1 is the largest jib (on the longest stay) and sometimes it's the smallest (on the shortest stay). Typically the J1 jib is the largest - and the J3 jib the smallest.

Most jibs are roller furling jibs: this means they are attached to a stay and can be reefed down single-handedly. If you have a roller furling you can reef down the jib to all three positions and don't need to carry different sizes.

Originally called the 'overlapping jib', the leech of the genoa extends aft of the mast. This increases speed in light and moderate winds. A genoa is larger than the total size of the fore-triangle. How large exactly is indicated by a percentage.

• A number 1 genoa is typically 155% (it used to be 180%)
• A number 2 genoa is typically 125-140%

Genoas are typically made from 1.5US/oz polyester spinnaker cloth, or very light laminate.

This is where it gets pretty interesting. You can use all kinds of sails to increase speed, handling, and performance for different weather conditions.

Some rules of thumb:

• Large sails are typically good for downwind use, small sails are good for upwind use.
• Large sails are good for weak winds (light air), small sails are good for strong winds (storms).

Downwind sails

Thanks to the front-and-aft rig sailboats are easier to maneuver, but they catch less wind as well. Downwind sails are used to offset this by using a large sail surface, pulling a sailboat downwind. They can be hanked on when needed and are typically balloon shaped.

Here are the most common downwind sails:

• Big gennaker
• Small gennaker

A free-flying sail that fills up with air, giving it a balloon shape. Spinnakers are generally colorful, which is why they look like kites. This downwind sail has the largest sail area, and it's capable of moving a boat with very light wind. They are amazing to use on trade wind routes, where they can help you make quick progress.

Spinnakers require special rigging. You need a special pole and track on your mast. You attach the sail at three points: in the mast head using a halyard, on a pole, and on a sheet.

The spinnaker is symmetrical, meaning the luff is as long as its leech. It's designed for broad reaching.

Gennaker or cruising spinnaker

The Gennaker is a cross between the genoa and the spinnaker. It has less downwind performance than the spinnaker. It is a bit smaller, making it slower, but also easier to handle - while it remains very capable. The cruising spinnaker is designed for broad reaching.

The gennaker is a smaller, asymmetric spinnaker that's doesn't require a pole or track on the mast. Like the spinnaker, and unlike the genoa, the gennaker is set flying. Asymmetric means its luff is longer than its leech.

You can get big and small gennakers (roughly 75% and 50% the size of a true spinnaker).

Also called ...

• the cruising spinnaker
• cruising chute
• pole-less spinnaker
• SpinDrifter

... it's all the same sail.

Light air sails

There's a bit of overlap between the downwind sails and light air sails. Downwind sails can be used as light air sails, but not all light air sails can be used downwind.

Here are the most common light air sails:

• Spinnaker and gennaker

Drifter reacher

Code zero reacher.

A drifter (also called a reacher) is a lightweight, larger genoa for use in light winds. It's roughly 150-170% the size of a genoa. It's made from very lightweight laminated spinnaker fabric (1.5US/oz).

Thanks to the extra sail area the sail offers better downwind performance than a genoa. It's generally made from lightweight nylon. Thanks to it's genoa characteristics the sail is easier to use than a cruising spinnaker.

The code zero reacher is officially a type of spinnaker, but it looks a lot like a large genoa. And that's exactly what it is: a hybrid cross between the genoa and the asymmetrical spinnaker (gennaker). The code zero however is designed for close reaching, making it much flatter than the spinnaker. It's about twice the size of a non-overlapping jib.

A windseeker is a small, free-flying staysail for super light air. It's tall and thin. It's freestanding, so it's not attached to the headstay. The tack attaches to a deck pad-eye. Use your spinnakers' halyard to raise it and tension the luff.

It's made from nylon or polyester spinnaker cloth (0.75 to 1.5US/oz).

It's designed to guide light air onto the lee side of the main sail, ensuring a more even, smooth flow of air.

Stormsails are stronger than regular sails, and are designed to handle winds of over 45 knots. You carry them to spare the mainsail. Sails

A storm jib is a small triangular staysail for use in heavy weather. If you participate in offshore racing you need a mandatory orange storm jib. It's part of ISAF's requirements.

A trysail is a storm replacement for the mainsail. It's small, triangular, and it uses a permanently attached pennant. This allows it to be set above the gooseneck. It's recommended to have a separate track on your mast for it - you don't want to fiddle around when you actually really need it to be raised ... now.

Why Use Different Sails At All?

You could just get the largest furling genoa and use it on all positions. So why would you actually use different types of sails?

The main answer to that is efficiency . Some situations require other characteristics.

Having a deeply reefed genoa isn't as efficient as having a small J3. The reef creates too much draft in the sail, which increases heeling. A reefed down mainsail in strong winds also increases heeling. So having dedicated (storm) sails is probably a good thing, especially if you're planning more demanding passages or crossings.

But it's not just strong winds, but also light winds that can cause problems. Heavy sails will just flap around like laundry in very light air. So you need more lightweight fabrics to get you moving.

What Are Sails Made Of?

The most used materials for sails nowadays are:

• Dacron - woven polyester
• woven nylon
• laminated fabrics - increasingly popular

Sails used to be made of linen. As you can imagine, this is terrible material on open seas. Sails were rotting due to UV and saltwater. In the 19th century linen was replaced by cotton.

It was only in the 20th century that sails were made from synthetic fibers, which were much stronger and durable. Up until the 1980s most sails were made from Dacron. Nowadays, laminates using yellow aramids, Black Technora, carbon fiber and Spectra yarns are more and more used.

Laminates are as strong as Dacron, but a lot lighter - which matters with sails weighing up to 100 kg (220 pounds).

By the way: we think that Viking sails were made from wool and leather, which is quite impressive if you ask me.

In this section of the article I give you a quick and dirty summary of different sail plans or rig types which will help you to identify boats quickly. But if you want to really understand it clearly, I really recommend you read part 2 of this series, which is all about different rig types.

You can't simply count the number of masts to identify rig type But you can identify any rig type if you know what to look for. We've created an entire system for recognizing rig types. Let us walk you through it. Read all about sail rig types

As I've said earlier, there are two major rig types: square rigged and fore-and-aft. We can divide the fore-and-aft rigs into three groups:

• Bermuda rig (we have talked about this one the whole time) - has a three-sided mainsail
• Gaff rig - has a four-sided mainsail, the head of the mainsail is guided by a gaff
• Lateen rig - has a three-sided mainsail on a long yard

There are roughly four types of boats:

• one masted boats - sloop, cutter
• two masted boats - ketch, schooner, brig
• three masted - barque
• fully rigged or ship rigged - tall ship

Everything with four masts is called a (tall) ship. I think it's outside the scope of this article, but I have written a comprehensive guide to rigging. I'll leave the three and four-masted rigs for now. If you want to know more, I encourage you to read part 2 of this series.

One-masted rigs

Boats with one mast can have either one sail, two sails, or three or more sails.

The 3 most common one-masted rigs are:

• Cat - one mast, one sail
• Sloop - one mast, two sails
• Cutter - one mast, three or more sails

1. Gaff Cat

2. Gaff Sloop

Two-masted rigs

Two-masted boats can have an extra mast in front or behind the main mast. Behind (aft of) the main mast is called a mizzen mast . In front of the main mast is called a foremast .

The 5 most common two-masted rigs are:

• Lugger - two masts (mizzen), with lugsail (cross between gaff rig and lateen rig) on both masts
• Yawl - two masts (mizzen), fore-and-aft rigged on both masts. Main mast much taller than mizzen. Mizzen without mainsail.
• Ketch - two masts (mizzen), fore-and-aft rigged on both masts. Main mast with only slightly smaller mizzen. Mizzen has mainsail.
• Schooner - two masts (foremast), generally gaff rig on both masts. Main mast with only slightly smaller foremast. Sometimes build with three masts, up to seven in the age of sail.
• Brig - two masts (foremast), partially square-rigged. Main mast carries small lateen rigged sail.

4. Schooner

5. Brigantine

This article is part 1 of a series about sails and rig types If you want to read on and learn to identify any sail plans and rig type, we've found a series of questions that will help you do that quickly. Read all about recognizing rig types

Related Questions

What is the difference between a gennaker & spinnaker? Typically, a gennaker is smaller than a spinnaker. Unlike a spinnaker, a gennaker isn't symmetric. It's asymmetric like a genoa. It is however rigged like a spinnaker; it's not attached to the forestay (like a jib or a genoa). It's a downwind sail, and a cross between the genoa and the spinnaker (hence the name).

What is a Yankee sail? A Yankee sail is a jib with a high-cut clew of about 3' above the boom. A higher-clewed jib is good for reaching and is better in high waves, preventing the waves crash into the jibs foot. Yankee jibs are mostly used on traditional sailboats.

How much does a sail weigh? Sails weigh anywhere between 4.5-155 lbs (2-70 kg). The reason is that weight goes up exponentially with size. Small boats carry smaller sails (100 sq. ft.) made from thinner cloth (3.5 oz). Large racing yachts can carry sails of up to 400 sq. ft., made from heavy fabric (14 oz), totaling at 155 lbs (70 kg).

What's the difference between a headsail and a staysail? The headsail is the most forward of the staysails. A boat can only have one headsail, but it can have multiple staysails. Every staysail is attached to a forward running stay. However, not every staysail is located at the bow. A stay can run from the mizzen mast to the main mast as well.

What is a mizzenmast? A mizzenmast is the mast aft of the main mast (behind; at the stern) in a two or three-masted sailing rig. The mizzenmast is shorter than the main mast. It may carry a mainsail, for example with a ketch or lugger. It sometimes doesn't carry a mainsail, for example with a yawl, allowing it to be much shorter.

Special thanks to the following people for letting me use their quality photos: Bill Abbott - True Spinnaker with pole - CC BY-SA 2.0 lotsemann - Volvo Ocean Race Alvimedica and the Code Zero versus SCA and the J1 - CC BY-SA 2.0 Lisa Bat - US Naval Academy Trysail and Storm Jib dry fit - CC BY-SA 2.0 Mike Powell - White gaff cat - CC BY-SA 2.0 Anne Burgess - Lugger The Reaper at Scottish Traditional Boat Festival

Hi, I stumbled upon your page and couldn’t help but notice some mistakes in your description of spinnakers and gennakers. First of all, in the main photo on top of this page the small yacht is sailing a spinnaker, not a gennaker. If you look closely you can see the spinnaker pole standing on the mast, visible between the main and headsail. Further down, the discription of the picture with the two German dinghies is incorrect. They are sailing spinnakers, on a spinnaker pole. In the farthest boat, you can see a small piece of the pole. If needed I can give you the details on the difference between gennakers and spinnakers correctly?

Hi Shawn, I am living in Utrecht I have an old gulf 32 and I am sailing in merkmeer I find your articles very helpful Thanks

Thank you for helping me under stand all the sails there names and what there functions were and how to use them. I am planning to build a trimaran 30’ what would be the best sails to have I plan to be coastal sailing with it. Thank you

Hey Comrade!

Well done with your master piece blogging. Just a small feedback. “The jib gives control over the bow of the ship, making it easier to maneuver the ship. The mainsail gives control over the stern of the ship.” Can you please first tell the different part of a sail boat earlier and then talk about bow and stern later in the paragraph. A reader has no clue on the newly introduced terms. It helps to keep laser focused and not forget main concepts.

Shawn, I am currently reading How to sail around the World” by Hal Roth. Yes, I want to sail around the world. His book is truly grounded in real world experience but like a lot of very knowledgable people discussing their area of expertise, Hal uses a lot of terms that I probably should have known but didn’t, until now. I am now off to read your second article. Thank You for this very enlightening article on Sail types and their uses.

Shawn Buckles

HI CVB, that’s a cool plan. Thanks, I really love to hear that. I’m happy that it was helpful to you and I hope you are of to a great start for your new adventure!

Hi GOWTHAM, thanks for the tip, I sometimes forget I haven’t specified the new term. I’ve added it to the article.

Nice article and video; however, you’re mixing up the spinnaker and the gennaker.

A started out with a question. What distinguishes a brig from a schooner? Which in turn led to follow-up questions: I know there are Bermuda rigs and Latin rig, are there more? Which in turn led to further questions, and further, and further… This site answers them all. Wonderful work. Thank you.

Great post and video! One thing was I was surprised how little you mentioned the Ketch here and not at all in the video or chart, and your sample image is a large ship with many sails. Some may think Ketch’s are uncommon, old fashioned or only for large boats. Actually Ketch’s are quite common for cruisers and live-aboards, especially since they often result in a center cockpit layout which makes for a very nice aft stateroom inside. These are almost exclusively the boats we are looking at, so I was surprised you glossed over them.

Love the article and am finding it quite informative.

While I know it may seem obvious to 99% of your readers, I wish you had defined the terms “upwind” and “downwind.” I’m in the 1% that isn’t sure which one means “with the wind” (or in the direction the wind is blowing) and which one means “against the wind” (or opposite to the way the wind is blowing.)

paul adriaan kleimeer

like in all fields of syntax and terminology the terms are colouual meaning local and then spead as the technology spread so an history lesson gives a floral bouque its colour and in the case of notical terms span culture and history adds an detail that bring reverence to the study simply more memorable.

Hi, I have a small yacht sail which was left in my lock-up over 30 years ago I basically know nothing about sails and wondered if you could spread any light as to the make and use of said sail. Someone said it was probably originally from a Wayfayer wooden yacht but wasn’t sure. Any info would be must appreciated and indeed if would be of any use to your followers? I can provide pics but don’t see how to include them at present

kind regards

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House Republicans reject their own funding bill with a shutdown around the corner

WASHINGTON — House Republicans on Wednesday defeated their own plan to avert a government shutdown at the end of the month, with the party divided over the length of a short-term funding bill and what, if anything, should be attached to it.

It was an embarrassing blow to Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who had yanked the same funding package off the floor last week amid growing GOP defections, only to watch it collapse on Wednesday in a vote that seemed doomed from the start.

The vote was 202-220 with two members voting present. In all, fourteen Republicans voted against the package, and three Democrats — Reps. Jared Golden of Maine, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington and Don Davis of North Carolina — voted for it.

Thirteen days before money runs out for the federal government, there is still no bipartisan plan to stave off a shutdown. While the GOP-led House could try again, the focus now likely shifts to the Senate, where leaders in both parties agree a shutdown would be disastrous weeks before the election.

Johnson’s plan called for extending funding at current spending levels for six months, through March 2025, and linking it with the SAVE Act , Donald Trump-backed legislation requiring that people show proof of citizenship to register to vote.

A GOP-only funding bill was always going to be a heavy lift for Johnson given Republicans’ razor-thin majority and the fact that a number of GOP lawmakers — a mix of fiscal conservatives and defense hawks — had vowed for days to tank it.

Democrats want a “clean” three-month funding patch with nothing attached, and virtually all voted no on the Johnson plan. Many oppose the SAVE Act, noting that it is already illegal , and rare , for noncitizens to vote .

GOP opponents were comprised of some unusual bedfellows. Some conservatives said they never vote for stopgap funding bills, known as continuing resolutions, or CRs, while Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., has warned that half a year is too long for military spending to remain stagnant.

That would be "devastating" to the Pentagon, the chairman told NBC News before the vote.

Other GOP defections included Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado; Matt Gaetz and Cory Mills, both of Florida; Nancy Mace of South Carolina; and Matt Rosendale of Montana.

But the overwhelming majority of rank-and-file Republicans backed Johnson’s move, saying holding the vote would put lawmakers on record.

“I think it’s good to put it on the floor, let people know who the people are that support it and don’t,” Rep. Warren Davidson, of Ohio, said earlier Wednesday. “I think that’s more important to call the vote, let the record show who stands where. Everyone.”

Davidson, who was ousted in July from the far-right House Freedom Caucus, lamented that Republicans have failed to unify behind a plan weeks before the election. “It’s a combination of bedwetters who won’t fight for anything,” he said, “and purists who won’t fight for anything unless it’s perfect.”

Trump, the GOP presidential nominee, has loomed large in the funding fight. Hours before the vote, Trump reiterated his message that Republicans should shut down the government unless the SAVE Act becomes law.

"If Republicans don’t get the SAVE Act, and every ounce of it, they should not agree to a Continuing Resolution in any way, shape, or form," Trump wrote on Truth Social , making the baseless claim that tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants will vote in the upcoming election.

"Only American Citizens should be voting in our Most Important Election in History, or any Election! A Vote must happen BEFORE the Election, not AFTER the Election when it is too late," Trump added. "BE SMART, REPUBLICANS, YOU’VE BEEN PUSHED AROUND LONG ENOUGH BY THE DEMOCRATS. DON’T LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN."

After the vote, Johnson met with reporters and defended his strategy but declined to share what his next play call would be.

"The play that we ran tonight was the right play. It's the right play for the American people. It's the one they demand and deserve," Johnson said just off the House floor, using his favorite football metaphors.

"We have two very important objectives right now. Congress has an obligation to fund the government. Congress has an obligation to ensure that our elections are secure, fair and free. This vote tonight could have accomplished both. I'm very disappointed that it didn't pass."

The government is slated to shut down at 12:01 a.m. Oct. 1 unless Republicans and Democrats can reach a deal on short-term funding.

That won’t include the speaker’s plan, which is dead on arrival in the Democratic-controlled Senate and faces a veto threat from President Joe Biden.

Instead, the likely next step will be Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., bringing to the floor a clean CR, funding the government past the election into December. That would buy time for bipartisan negotiators to strike a longer-term funding deal during the lame-duck session for fiscal year 2025 — if a short-term bill can pass the House.

"Plan B's always been a clean CR," Rep. John Duarte, R-Calif., said of the need to eventually pass a short-term patch.

Schumer called on Johnson to negotiate with Senate Democrats in a statement after the vote. “For weeks, Speaker Johnson pursued a partisan ploy knowing full well it had no chance of passing or averting a shutdown. We now have only a few days left for House Republicans to come to their senses, come to the table, and come together with Democrats to craft a bipartisan agreement," he said.

With the Nov. 5 general election just 48 days away, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is warning that a shutdown would be politically devastating for the GOP.

"One thing you cannot have at the government shutdown would be politically beyond stupid for us to do that right before the election," McConnell said Tuesday, "because certainly we'd get the blame."

House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., said after Wednesday's meeting that he had complete faith in Johnson figuring out how to avert a shutdown, noting the speaker reached a funding deal earlier this year with Schumer for the current fiscal year.

"At the end of the day, if he ever wanted to shut down the government, he had a lot of opportunities to do that," Cole said. "Since he's been speaker, he's never let it happen. I don't think he ever will."

Former House Appropriations Chair Rosa DeLauro, now the top Democrat on the panel, said she hopes bipartisan negotiators can now sit down and hammer out a clean funding bill to keep the lights on.

"I think we're going to get to where we need to go because we have to," DeLauro, D-Conn., said. "We need people who have an understanding of what a shutdown means. And I think that [Republicans] will figure out that it is politically devastating."

Scott Wong is a senior congressional reporter for NBC News.

Syedah Asghar is a Capitol Hill researcher for NBC News and is based in Washington, D.C.

Kyle Stewart is a field producer covering Congress for NBC News.

Brennan Leach is NBC News' Capitol Hill intern.