headsail
Forward rigging cloth
A headsail is any sail set forward of the mast on a sailing vessel—jibs, genoas, and spinnakers are all headsails.
The term distinguishes these from the mainsail.
On boats with multiple masts, headsails are those forward of the foremost mast: We raised the headsail as the wind picked up.
Forward mast-bracing cable
Triangular sail forward
Cutting away excess
- reefingReducing sail area
- hoistRaise with tackle
- dousingWetting completely, suddenly
- tackingAngled sailing maneuver
gybing · easing · sheeting · unfurling · depowering · changing · bagging · flaking
Extending toward something
- beatingRepeated striking or pulsing
- runningSwift foot travel
- close-hauledSailing near wind's eye
- upwindToward the wind's origin
downwind · lift · header · overpowered · underpowered
luff
Sail toward wind
clew · head · panels · seams · batten · telltales · window · reinforcement
forestay
Forward mast-bracing cable
roller · block · winch · track · car · foil · swivel · drum · lead
jib
Triangular sail forward
drifter · reacher · screecher · asymmetric
trimming
Cutting away excess
tacking · gybing · easing · sheeting · unfurling · depowering · changing · bagging · flaking
reaching
Extending toward something
- beatingRepeated striking or pulsing
- runningSwift foot travel
- close-hauledSailing near wind's eye
upwind · downwind · lift · header · overpowered · underpowered