Sailing glossary
The language spoken on board, from A to Z. Enough to follow the manoeuvres, understand the skipper and talk like a sailor — with the French term alongside each entry, for sailing in Brittany.
101 terms
A
- Apparent wind (French: Vent apparent)
- The wind felt on board: the combination of the true wind and the wind created by the boat’s own speed.
B
- Backstay (French: Pataras)
- The stay running from the masthead to the stern, supporting the mast from aft, opposite the forestay. Its tension changes the shape of the sails.
- Ballast (French: Ballast)
- A compartment or tank used as trimming ballast, filled with or emptied of water.
- Beam reach (French: Travers (vent de))
- The point of sail with the wind at right angles to the boat’s centreline. By extension, “abeam” means at the side of the boat.
- Bear away, to (French: Abattre)
- To turn the boat away from the direction of the wind. Opposite: head up.
- Beat, to (French: Louvoyer)
- To work your way towards a destination upwind (close-hauled) by sailing a series of tacks.
- Becalmed (French: Encalminé)
- Caught in an area with no wind.
- Boom (French: Bôme)
- The spar at right angles to the mast that holds out the foot of the mainsail.
- Bow (French: Proue)
- The front of a boat.
- Bowsprit (French: Bout-dehors)
- A spar projecting from the bow, used to set a sail forward of the stem.
- Breaking wave (French: Déferlante)
- A large wave whose crest topples over and breaks; also called a breaker.
- Broach, to (French: Lof (partir au))
- A sudden, usually involuntary, swing of the boat up into the wind.
C
- Cap shroud (French: Galhauban)
- A side shroud running to the masthead.
- Capsize, to (French: Chavirer)
- To be knocked over on her side by a violent wave or a squall, heeling so far that the boat stays down.
- Chainplate (French: Cadène)
- A fitting on the deck or hull to which a shroud is attached.
- Close-hauled (French: Près (au))
- The point of sail closest to the wind.
- Clutch bank (French: Piano)
- The row of rope clutches in the cockpit used to control the boat’s various lines.
- Cockpit (French: Cockpit)
- The well at the back of the boat where the helmsman steers and the crew trim the sails.
- Code zero (French: Code zéro)
- A light headsail, a kind of very large genoa.
- Coffee grinder (French: Moulin à café)
- A pedestal with handles driving a winch: this geared system develops great power for trimming the sails.
- Compass (French: Compas)
- The magnetic compass used on board to steer.
D
- Delamination (French: Délaminage)
- The separation of the layers and materials that make up a composite.
- Dismast, to (French: Démâter)
- To lose the mast following a breakage.
- Displacement (French: Déplacement)
- The weight of the volume of water displaced by the boat, in other words her weight.
- Doldrums (French: Pot au noir)
- The belt of equatorial calms in the Atlantic, near the equator (mostly to the north): great heat, with calms and violent squalls alternating.
E
- Ease, to (French: Choquer)
- To let out a line and reduce its tension; for a sail, to open the angle between sail and boat.
- ETA (French: ETA)
- Estimated time of arrival.
F
- Flog, to (French: Faseyer)
- Said of a sail that flaps because it is taking the wind on both sides, not being sheeted in enough. Also called shivering or luffing.
- Foot (French: Bordure)
- The bottom edge of a sail.
- Forestay (French: Étai)
- The foremost stay, running from the bow to the mast and holding the mast up from forward.
G
- Gennaker (French: Gennaker)
- A headsail reserved for downwind points of sail.
- Genoa (French: Génois)
- A large jib.
- Gooseneck (French: Vit-de-mulet)
- The swivel joint that connects the boom to the mast and lets it pivot.
- GPS (French: GPS)
- Global Positioning System: satellite positioning.
- Great circle route (French: Orthodromie)
- The shortest route from one point to another on the globe.
- Gust (French: Risée)
- A brief, local increase in wind strength; also called a puff.
- Gybe, to (French: Empanner)
- To change tack by turning the stern through the wind, passing through a dead run.
H
- Halyard (French: Drisse)
- The line used to hoist a sail. Each sail has its own halyard.
- Halyard lock (French: Hook)
- A hook system at the masthead from which the head of a sail is hung.
- Head to wind (French: Vent debout)
- A boat is head to wind when the wind blows from directly ahead, against the bow.
- Head up, to (French: Lofer)
- To turn the boat towards the direction of the wind; also “come up” or “point higher”. Not to be confused with “luffing up”, a brief, sharp turn into the wind (French: un coup de loffe). Opposite: bear away.
- Header (French: Refuser)
- A shift in wind direction that is unfavourable to the boat’s course: the wind comes from further ahead. Opposite: lift.
- Heading (French: Cap)
- The direction in which the boat is pointing, measured from north.
- Heave to, to (French: Cape (prendre la))
- To set the boat so that she lies quietly and looks after herself in heavy weather.
- Heel (French: Gîte)
- The angle at which the boat leans over to one side.
- Hoist, to (French: Envoyer)
- To raise a sail.
J
- Jib (French: Foc)
- A triangular headsail set on a stay forward of the mast.
K
- Kicker (French: Hâle-bas)
- The tackle that pulls the boom down to keep it from rising and to flatten the mainsail; also called a kicking strap or boom vang.
- Knot (French: Nœud)
- The unit of speed at sea: one knot is one nautical mile per hour.
L
- Leech (French: Chute)
- The back (trailing) edge of a sail.
- Leech line (French: Nerf de chute)
- A thin line running inside the leech from the head of the sail to the clew, tensioned to stop the leech from fluttering.
- Leeward (French: Vent (sous le))
- The side away from the wind: whatever does not receive the wind first.
- Leeway (French: Dérive)
- The sideways drift of a sailing boat away from the course she is steering.
- Length overall (French: Longueur hors tout)
- The boat’s greatest length, bowsprit included.
- Lift (French: Adonner)
- A shift in wind direction towards the stern: the wind becomes more favourable to the boat’s ideal course. Opposite: header.
- Line (French: Bout)
- A length of rope. On board, ropes in use are called lines.
- Luff (French: Guindant)
- The front (leading) edge of a triangular sail.
- Lull (French: Molle)
- An area where the wind drops. Opposite: gust.
M
- Mainsail (French: Grand-voile)
- The main sail of the boat, set behind the mast.
- Mainsheet traveller (French: Barre d’écoute de grand-voile)
- The athwartships track along which the mainsheet tackle moves.
N
- Nautical mile (French: Mille marin (ou nautique))
- The unit of distance at sea, equal to 1,852 metres.
P
- Points of sail (French: Allures)
- The angle of the boat’s course to the wind direction, and the sail set-up that goes with it.
- Port (French: Bâbord)
- The left-hand side of the boat, looking forward.
- Port tack (French: Bâbord amure)
- A boat on port tack has the wind coming over her port (left-hand) side.
R
- Rating rule (French: Jauge)
- The set of rules defining the technical framework a racing yacht must fit within.
- Reef (French: Ris)
- The system used to reduce the area of a sail.
- Reef, to (French: Ariser)
- To take one or more reefs in a sail, that is, to reduce sail area.
- Rig (French: Gréement)
- Everything that contributes to driving the boat under sail; also called the rigging.
- Roller furler (French: Enrouleur)
- A rotating system fitted around the forestay, used to roll up all or part of a headsail.
- Rudder (French: Gouvernail)
- The whole system used to steer the boat.
- Rudder blade (French: Safran)
- The pivoting, underwater part of the rudder.
- Rudder stock (French: Mèche de gouvernail)
- The shaft of the moving part of the rudder.
- Runner (French: Bastaque)
- A movable backstay set aft of the mast.
- Running (French: Vent arrière)
- The point of sail with the wind coming from directly astern; also called a dead run.
S
- Sheet (French: Écoute)
- The line used to trim a sail.
- Sheet in, to (French: Border)
- To pull in the sheet of a sail, closing the angle between the sail and the boat’s centreline.
- Shroud (French: Hauban)
- A wire supporting the mast from the side.
- Solent (French: Solent)
- A headsail, a kind of jib.
- Spinnaker (French: Spinnaker (spi))
- A large, full headsail hoisted on downwind points of sail.
- Spinnaker pole (French: Tangon)
- A spar pushed out from the boat to hold the headsail sheets away from the hull (genoa or spinnaker).
- Splice (French: Épissure)
- A rope woven into itself or into another rope to form an eye or a join.
- Spreader (French: Barre de flèche)
- A strut fixed to the mast that holds out the shrouds supporting it.
- Stack, to (French: Matosser)
- To move gear or sails to the windward side of the boat to reduce heel.
- Starboard (French: Tribord)
- The right-hand side of the boat, looking forward.
- Starboard tack (French: Tribord amure)
- A boat on starboard tack has the wind coming over her starboard (right-hand) side; she has right of way over a boat on port tack.
- Staysail (French: Trinquette)
- A headsail set on the inner forestay, behind the jib.
- Stem (French: Étrave)
- The front of the boat: the forward edge of the hull, at the bow.
- Stern (French: Poupe)
- The back of a boat.
T
- Tack (French: Amure)
- The side of the boat that receives the wind first. A boat is on port tack or on starboard tack.
- Tack, to (French: Virer de bord)
- To turn the bow through the wind so that the wind comes from the other side. Not to be confused with beating, which is a series of tacks to work upwind.
- Tacking (going about) (French: Virement de bord)
- Changing tack by turning the bow through the wind.
- Telltales (French: Pennon)
- Short strands of wool stuck to a sail that show the airflow over it and help you trim.
- Tension, to (French: Étarquer)
- To pull a halyard or a control line really tight; also called sweating up.
- Through-hull fitting (French: Passe-coque)
- A tube passing through the hull, for a water intake, a drain or an instrument sensor.
- Tiller (French: Barre)
- The lever used to turn the rudder and steer the boat.
- Traveller car (French: Chariot de grand-voile)
- The car that slides along the mainsheet traveller, carrying the mainsheet tackle.
- True wind (French: Vent vrai (ou réel))
- The actual direction and strength of the wind.
V
- VMG (French: VMG)
- Velocity made good: the component of the boat’s speed along the ideal course, that is, how fast you are actually closing on your destination.
W
- Waterline (French: Ligne de flottaison)
- The line the water surface makes on the hull, separating the underwater body from the topsides.
- Winch (French: Winch)
- A drum turned with a handle, used to tension the lines on board a sailing boat.
- Windward (French: Vent (au))
- The side facing the wind: whatever receives the wind first is to windward.
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The same vocabulary in four languages
This glossary covers a representative selection of the vocabulary used at the school. For the French / English / German / Spanish word list — useful with an international crew and when sailing in France — see the multilingual lexicon. Go to the multilingual lexicon →