mainsail
Triangular sail between the boom
and mast. On
America’s Cup yachts, a mainsail has an area of
approx. 225 sq m, weighs 100 kg (the sail accounting for
85 kg and the battens 15) and costs around $ 55,000.
mast
Asta che si innalza verticalmente dalla barca per sostenere
la velatura. mile
The nautical mile is equivalent to 1.852 km. Sailing speed
is generally expressed in knots. One knot = one mile.
N
O
P
pitching
Bow-to-stern rocking of a boat due to waves.
points of sail
The headings of a sailboat in relation to the wind (the
angle between wind direction and the boat’s longitudinal
axis). Depending on the angle, they are called close-hauled
(upwind), close reach, wind abeam, beam reach, broad reach,
downwind.
Q
R
S
sails inventory
This term is used to indicate the number of sails the
boat has ready for use. In the America's Cup, each yacht
can have up to 60 - of course, they are not all kept on
board.
shrouds
Supporting wires on both starboard
and port side of the mast
securing it to the sides. sheet
The rope fastened to the sails and used to pull them in
or let them out. spinnaker
Often referred to in abbreviated form as SPI. It is the
large coloured sail raised at the bow
when sailing before the wind. In America’s Cup yachts,
an SPI weighs approx. 30Kg, has a sail area of 500 sq
m and costs $ 20,000. spinnaker pole
Pole, one end of which is fastened to the mast
by means of a socket-type fitting, and the other to the
spinnaker.
The various adjustments are made using two control lines
called the downhule
and topping lift. spreaders
Struts that spread the shrouds
out from the mast to take strain off it. starboard
Term used by sailors to indicate the right. stern
Back end of a boat. strambare
Manoeuvre performed while sailing downwind,
. It consists in moving the boom
, and hence the mainsail,
from the left to the right side of the boat, and vice
versa. strenght
See wind. strong breeze
See wind.
T
tack (verb)
When close-hauled,
to follow a zigzagging course by steering the bow
through the wind. tack (noun)
A stretch of sea sailed with the boat facing in the same
direction. The side of the boat the wind comes over: starboard
(right-hand) tack or port (left-hand) tack is sailing
with the wind coming over the right or left side of the
boat respectively. The boat on a starboard tack is the
privileged vessel and has right of way over a boat with
a port tack.
tonnage
For ships, this is their internal volume expressed in
tonnes. In races like the America’s Cup, the boat’s
tonnage is measured according to the International Rating
rules and expressed in metres.
topping lift
Line fastened to the free end of the boom
that, running over the top of the mast,
supports its weight when the mainsail
is not hoisted. Once the mainsail,
is raised, the topping lift is eased or, to adjust the
spinnaker
or gennaker
it is released from the boom
and fastened to the spinnaker
pole.
topsides
All the visible part of the boat above the waterline.
turnbuckle
The turnbuckles are devices used to tension the two shrouds
dused for safety purposes - only one is tensioned at a
time on the windward
side only.
U
underwater hull
The part of the boat under water.
V
vang
A winch on small boats and a hydraulic system on larger
craft that, fastened between the bottom of the mast
and the boom
stops the boom from lifting.
W
wind
In addition to the direction it blows from, wind strength
is also an important factor when deciding what sails
to use. Larger and lighter with a gentle wind, smaller
but with a heavier, stronger fabric with a strong breeze.
The set of sails used in the various situations is known
as the “sails inventory”. The strength,
and hence the speed of the wind, is classified according
to a scale known as the Beaufort scale. Below is an
excerpt from this scale featuring the winds possible
in America’s Cup races. If values are above or
below those given, the race is postponed.
wind force
speed
see scale
km/h
in nodi
2
light breeze
6-11
4-6
2
3
gentle breeze
12-19
7-10
2
4
moderate breeze
20-28
11-16
3
5
fresh breeze
29-38
17-21
4
6
strong breeze
39-49
22-27
5
windward
Side of the boat from which the wind is blowing. To be
windward of another boat when sailing close-hauled
means having an advantage as boat B, which is
leeward
, is unlikely to be able to overtake boat A as B will
be robbed of the wind behind A’s sails. winch
Generally located around the cokpit,
varying in size depending on the strain they are to withstand,
they consist of a drum that turns clockwise only. For
instance, the sheet
is turned on the winch 3-4 times.
