Bowsprit

A bowsprit is a spar projecting forward from the stem that moves the headsail’s tack ahead of the hull, lengthening the foretriangle and the rig’s base for more drive. Traditional gaff cutters used a fixed wooden bowsprit; modern sportboats and cruiser-racers use a retractable carbon prod that runs out only to set an asymmetric spinnaker or reaching headsail, then retracts to keep the boat inside its rated length. A sloop without one is termed a knockabout.