Extended Operational and Trade Vocabulary

Yacht Racing, Regattas and Sailing Governance glossary

The yacht-racing vocabulary: the America’s Cup editions (AC36, AC37) and class boats (AC50, AC72), the foiling and wing-sail terms, the offshore-racing series, and the World Sailing and national-federation governance terms. Grounds each term in the regatta, the class rule, or the governing body it belongs to.

280 defined terms.

Showing 250 on this page (page 1 of 2).

A

AC36: The 36th America's Cup, contested March 2021 in Auckland and won by Emirates Team New Zealand against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli.
AC37: The 37th America's Cup, contested October 2024 in Barcelona and won 7-2 by Emirates Team New Zealand over INEOS Britannia.
AC50: The 50-foot foiling wing-sail catamaran class used at the 35th America's Cup in Bermuda 2017.
AC72: The 72-foot foiling wing-sail catamaran class used at the 34th America's Cup in San Francisco 2013.
AC75: The 75-foot foiling monohull class introduced for the 36th America's Cup in 2021 and retained for AC37 in 2024.
Alinghi: Swiss syndicate, backed by Ernesto Bertarelli, that won the America's Cup in 2003 (Auckland) and defended it in 2007 (Valencia).
America (schooner): The yacht that won the Royal Yacht Squadron's 1851 cup at Cowes, lending its name to the America's Cup trophy.
America's Cup: Oldest international sailing trophy, contested since 1851.
America's Cup Deed of Gift: The governing instrument signed in 1887 that sets the terms under which the America's Cup is contested.
America's Cup Match: The best-of-thirteen final series between defender and challenger that decides each America's Cup.
Apparent wind: Wind perceived from a moving vessel.
Apparent Wind Angle (AWA): The angle between the yacht's heading and the apparent wind direction.
ARC: The Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, an annual cruising rally from Las Palmas to Saint Lucia organized by the World Cruising Club since 1986.
Asymmetric Spinnaker: A downwind sail tacked to the bow or a bowsprit and trimmed without a pole, often called a gennaker.
Auckland: New Zealand city that hosted the America's Cup in 2000, 2003 and 2021.
Australia II: The yacht, designed by Ben Lexcen with a winged keel, that broke the New York Yacht Club's 132-year America's Cup streak in 1983.
Auxiliary: A sailing yacht equipped with an engine for use when sailing is impractical.

B

Backstay: Standing rigging supporting a mast from aft.
Backwind: Disturbed air from another sail or another yacht's sails that compromises lift.
Barcelona: Major Mediterranean turnaround cruise port at the Port of Barcelona.
Bareboat Charter: Demise charter under which the charterer becomes disponent owner.
Beat: A course sailed upwind, requiring a series of tacks to make ground to windward.
Beating: The act of sailing close-hauled into the wind.
Bermuda: Atlantic British Overseas Territory and Red Ensign Group flag, registry based in Hamilton.
Bermuda Rig: A triangular mainsail rig with a single mast, dominant in modern racing yachts.
Block: Pulley used with rope to make a tackle.
BMW Oracle Racing: The American syndicate, backed by Larry Ellison, that won the 33rd America's Cup in 2010 in Valencia.
Boom: Spar extending the foot of a sail.
Boom Vang: A tackle or hydraulic strut that controls the boom's vertical position and thus mainsail twist.
Bow: Forward end of the vessel.
Bowman: The crew member working at the foredeck, handling spinnaker sets, gybes and headsail changes.
Bowsprit: Spar extending forward from the stem for headsails.
Boxing Day: The traditional 26 December start date of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
Broad reach: Sailing with the wind abaft the beam.
Bulb keel: Ballast bulb at the keel of a sailing yacht.
Buoy Racing: Short-course racing around inflatable marks, as in fleet and match-racing regattas.

C

Camber: The curvature of a sail's section, generating lift.
Canting Keel: A keel that can be swung to windward to maximize righting moment, common on IMOCA 60s and other offshore racers.
Catamaran: Twin-hull vessel with high transverse stability.
CCA: Clean Caribbean and Americas, a regional Tier 3 oil spill response cooperative based in Fort Lauderdale.
CCA Rule: A handicap rating rule used in North American offshore racing in the mid-20th century.
Centerboard: A retractable keel-like foil used on dinghies and some keelboats for lateral resistance.
Challenger of Record: The first challenging club accepted by the defender, which negotiates the protocol for each America's Cup.
Cherbourg: French port that hosted OpenHydro manufacturing and is involved in tidal and offshore renewable supply chains.
Class40: A 40-foot one-design offshore racing class used in Route du Rhum, Transat Jacques Vabre and Globe 40.
Clew: Lower aft corner of a fore-and-aft sail; either lower corner of a square sail.
Clipper Round the World Yacht Race: An amateur-crewed circumnavigation race founded by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston in 1996.
Close Reach: A point of sail between close-hauled and a beam reach.
Close-hauled: Sailing as near to the wind as possible.
Code Zero: A flat reaching sail used in light to moderate winds at tight reaching angles.
Cog: Single-masted Hanseatic League cargo carrier of the high medieval Baltic and North Sea.
Committee Boat: The vessel from which the race committee starts and finishes races.
Cowes: English town on the Isle of Wight that hosted the 1851 race for the trophy that became the America's Cup and remains the start of the Fastnet Race.
Cowes Week: A long-running annual regatta on the Solent, first held in 1826.
CQS: A modified Maxi widely campaigned in offshore events under owner Ludde Ingvall.
Cruising Yacht Club of Australia: The Sydney-based club that has organized the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race since 1945.
Cup Defender: The yacht club holding the America's Cup, responsible for defending it in the next match.
Cup Match: Common shorthand for the America's Cup Match.

D

Daggerboard: Retractable centerboard often used in dinghies.
Dalin, Charlie: French skipper who won the 2024-2025 Vendee Globe aboard Macif Sante Prevoyance.
Deed of Gift Match: An America's Cup contested under the bare terms of the 1887 Deed of Gift, as in the 33rd edition in 2010.
Defender (Cup): The yacht and syndicate selected by the holding club to defend the America's Cup.
Dinghy: Small open boat.
Displacement (Δ): Mass of water displaced equal to vessel mass at floating equilibrium.
Doldrums: Equatorial region of light and variable winds within the ITCZ.
Downwind: The direction toward which the wind is blowing.
Dragon: A 8.9-meter international one-design keelboat designed by Johan Anker in 1929.
Drifter: Surface or subsurface device that follows currents to measure Lagrangian flow.

E

Easterly: A wind blowing from the east.
Emirates Team New Zealand: The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron syndicate that holds the America's Cup, having won in 1995, 2000, 2017, 2021 and 2024.
Endeavour: Sir T.O.M. Sopwith's J-Class challenger of 1934, raced against Rainbow.
Escoffier, Kevin: French skipper who led Team Holcim-PRB to victory in The Ocean Race 2022-2023.
Etchells: International one-design keelboat designed by Skip Etchells in 1966.
Europe Dinghy: A single-handed dinghy that served as an Olympic class for women from 1992 to 2004.

F

470: A two-handed Olympic dinghy designed by Andre Cornu in 1963, contested as a mixed event at Paris 2024.
49er: A high-performance two-handed skiff designed by Julian Bethwaite, an Olympic men's class since 2000.
49er FX: The women's version of the 49er, an Olympic class since Rio 2016.
F50: The foiling 50-foot one-design catamaran sailed in the SailGP circuit.
Fastnet Race: Biennial 695-mile offshore race organized by RORC since 1925.
Fastnet Rock: A small Irish islet off County Cork that gives the Fastnet Race its name.
Finn: Single-handed Olympic dinghy from 1952 to 2020.
Fleet Racing: A race format in which all entrants start together and finish on elapsed time or corrected time.
Foil Cant: The angle to which a foil arm is canted outboard from the hull, a key control on the AC75.
Foiling: Sailing with the hulls lifted clear of the water by hydrofoils.
Foot (sail): The lower edge of a sail.
Forestay: The standing rigging running from the masthead to the bow.
Formula Kite: The Olympic kiteboarding class, contested at Paris 2024 with separate men's and women's events.

G

Gennaker: An asymmetric reaching spinnaker, blending genoa and spinnaker characteristics.
Genoa: Overlapping headsail used on Bermudian-rigged yachts.
Gibsea: A French production cruiser-racer brand once active in club racing.
Globe 40: A fully crewed circumnavigation race for the Class40 fleet.
Golden Globe Race: 1968 solo non-stop circumnavigation race revived in 2018.
GP14: Two-person Jack Holt designed dinghy.
Grand Prix: A term used for top-level professional offshore racing, especially the TP52 circuit.
Grinder: A crew member who turns winch pedestals to power sail trim, especially aboard large racers and AC boats.
Guadeloupe: French Caribbean territory whose Pointe-a-Pitre is the finish of the Route du Rhum.
Gybe: A maneuver in which the stern passes through the wind, swinging the boom across.

H

Halyard: Line used to hoist a sail or yard.
Handicap Racing: A format in which yachts of different sizes race together and corrected time is calculated under a rating rule.
Hard on the Wind: Sailing as close to the wind as practical, equivalent to close-hauled.
Heading: Direction in which a vessel's bow is pointing.
Headsail: A sail set forward of the mast, including jibs, genoas and Code Zeros.
Heave-to: Maneuver to hold position in heavy weather.
Heel: Transverse inclination of the vessel.
Helmsman: Person at the wheel.
Hiking: Crew members leaning their weight outboard to counter heel.
Hobart: Capital of Tasmania, finish port of the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
Hull Speed: The theoretical maximum displacement speed of a hull, scaling with the square root of waterline length.
Hydrofoil: Lifting surface that supports a hull above the water.

I

IACC: International America's Cup Class, the 80-foot monohull rule used from 1992 to 2007.
ILCA: International Laser Class Association, the governing body for the ILCA dinghies.
ILCA 6: The current designation for the Laser Radial rig, the Olympic women's single-handed dinghy.
ILCA 7: The current designation for the Laser Standard rig, the Olympic men's single-handed dinghy.
IMOCA: International Monohull Open Class Association, governing the IMOCA 60 Open class.
IMOCA 60: International Open class for solo and short-handed offshore racing including the Vendee Globe.
In irons: Sailing vessel head to wind and unable to pay off.
INEOS Britannia: The British America's Cup challenger of record for AC37, finishing as challenger and losing 7-2 to Emirates Team New Zealand in Barcelona 2024.
International Yacht Racing Union (IYRU): The world governing body of sailing founded in 1907, renamed ISAF in 1996.
IQFoil: The Olympic windsurfing class, contested at Paris 2024 with separate men's and women's events.
IRC: International offshore rating rule administered by RORC and UNCL.
ISAF: International Sailing Federation, the name of the world governing body from 1996 to 2015.
Isle of Wight: Site of the 1851 race that originated the America's Cup, off the south coast of England.

J

J Class: Universal Rule yachts of the America's Cup era 1930 to 1937.
J/22: A one-design 22-foot keelboat designed by Rod Johnstone in 1983.
J/24: A one-design 24-foot keelboat designed by Rod Johnstone in 1977, with a worldwide class fleet.
J/70: International one-design sportsboat with over 1,500 hulls built.
J/80: International one-design sport keelboat.
Jammer: A line-holding device used in conjunction with winches to lock off a load.
Jeantot, Philippe: French sailor who founded the Vendee Globe in 1989.
Jib: Triangular headsail of a fore-and-aft rig.
Jibe: Shift a fore-and-aft sail from one side to the other when running.
Jury Rig: Temporary improvised rig set after damage.

K

Keel: Principal longitudinal member at the bottom of the hull.
Ketch: Two-masted rig with mizzen forward of the rudder post and shorter than the main.
Kevlar: An aramid fiber used in racing sails and rigging for strength and low stretch.
Knot (Speed): Unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour, used in observation reporting.
Knox-Johnston, Robin: British sailor who in 1969 became the first to complete a single-handed non-stop circumnavigation and later founded the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

L

L-Foil: A foil shape with horizontal and vertical sections forming an L, used on AC72s and earlier IMOCA 60s.
Laser: A single-handed dinghy designed by Bruce Kirby and Ian Bruce in 1971, now branded ILCA.
Lay Day: A non-racing day scheduled in regattas, often for rest or weather.
Layline: The course on which a yacht can fetch the next mark on a single tack.
Le Havre: French port that has been the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre since 1993.
Lee helm: Helm action required when a vessel tends to bear away from the wind.
Leech: After edge of a fore-and-aft sail; outer edge of a square sail.
Leeward: Downwind.
Leg (race): A segment of a race course between two marks or waypoints.
Lifting Foil: A foil generating vertical lift, as on AC75s and IMOCA 60s.
Light Air: Wind conditions of approximately Beaufort Force 1 to 2.
Lipton, Sir Thomas: Tea magnate who challenged unsuccessfully for the America's Cup five times between 1899 and 1930.
Long splice: Splice that joins two ropes without significant increase in diameter.
Los Angeles: Start port of the Transpacific Yacht Race to Honolulu since 1906.
Luff: Forward edge of a fore-and-aft sail; head a vessel into the wind.
Luffing: Steering closer to the wind, often as a defensive tactic.
Luna Rossa: Italian syndicate, backed by Prada, that was the challenger of record at AC36 in Auckland 2021.

M

Macif Sante Prevoyance: The IMOCA 60 with which Charlie Dalin won the 2024-2025 Vendee Globe.
Mainsail: Principal sail set on the mainmast.
Mainsheet: Sheet controlling the mainsail.
Mark (race): A buoy or other object designating a turning point on the race course.
Mast: Vertical spar supporting sails or signaling gear.
Match Racing: A format in which two yachts race head-to-head, central to the America's Cup.
Maxi 100: A 100-foot maxi yacht size band, including yachts such as Wild Oats XI in Sydney Hobart.
Maxi 72: A grand prix class of 72-foot offshore racing yachts.
Maxi 80: An 80-foot maxi yacht size band, encompassing yachts such as Comanche.
Mini 6.50: A 6.50-meter offshore class used in the Mini Transat.
Mini Transat: Solo transatlantic race in 6.5m Mini class boats.
Mirror Dinghy: 1962 Jack Holt-designed family training dinghy.
Mixed Crew: A crew composed of both genders, required in events such as the 470 and Nacra 17 at the Olympics.
Monohull: A single-hulled yacht, as distinct from a multihull.
Multihull: Catamaran or trimaran vessel type.

N

Nacra 17: Foiling mixed catamaran, Olympic class from 2016.
Navigator: Officer responsible for the safe navigation of the vessel.
New York Yacht Club: Founded 1844, holder of the America's Cup until 1983.
Newport: Rhode Island port that hosted America's Cup matches from 1930 to 1983 and is the start of the Newport Bermuda Race.
Newport Bermuda Race: Biennial 635-mile offshore race since 1906.
No-go zone: depth area marked on ECDIS based on UKC calculation.
Notice of Race (NOR): The document published by organizers setting the terms for entering a regatta.

O

Ocean Race, The: Crewed round-the-world race formerly known as the Volvo and Whitbread.
Offshore Special Regulations (OSR): World Sailing offshore-race safety rules.
OK Dinghy: International single-handed dinghy designed by Knud Olsen.
Olympic Classes: The boats selected by World Sailing for each edition of the Olympic Games.
One-Design: A class in which all boats are built to identical specifications, so racing is decided by sailing skill.
Open 60: An informal name for the IMOCA 60 Open class.
Optimist: A single-handed pram dinghy designed by Clark Mills in 1947, the dominant global youth trainer.
Oracle Team USA: The Golden Gate Yacht Club syndicate that defended the America's Cup in 2013 and lost it in 2017.
ORC: Offshore Racing Congress, administrator of the ORC International and ORC Club rating systems.
Outhaul: Rope for hauling a sail outboard along a spar.

P

Pacific Handicap Racing Fleet (PHRF): A North American performance handicap system, especially used on the West Coast.
Paris 2024: The 2024 Olympic Games, whose sailing events were held in Marseille and contested in ten classes.
Pitman: Crew role in the mid-cockpit of a racing yacht.
Plymouth: Devon port and home of Princess Yachts.
Point of Sail: The yacht's heading relative to the wind, such as close-hauled, beam reach or run.
Pointe-a-Pitre: City in Guadeloupe that is the finish of the Route du Rhum.
Port: Left-hand side of a vessel when facing forward; also a harbor.
Port Tack: A yacht sailing with the wind on the port side, with the mainsail to starboard.
Prestart: The maneuvering period before the start gun, particularly important in match racing.
Prince Philip: Late patron of the Royal Yachting Association and long-time sailor.
PRO: Pressure-retarded osmosis, a salinity gradient power technology that exploits osmotic pressure across selective membranes.
Protest: master's sworn statement of facts following a casualty, used in claims documentation.

R

Race Committee: The team of officials running a regatta on the water.
Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS): World Sailing rulebook updated quadrennially.
Reach: Sailing point with the wind on or abaft the beam.
Reefing: Reducing sail area in heavy weather.
Regatta: Sailing competition consisting of races.
Rhum (class): A handicap class in the Route du Rhum for monohulls outside the Class40 and IMOCA fleets.
Rig: The combination of mast, boom, standing and running rigging that supports and controls the sails.
Right-of-Way Rules: The portion of the Racing Rules of Sailing governing which yacht must give way.
Rolex Fastnet Race: The biennial offshore race organized by RORC since 1925, sponsored by Rolex.
Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race: The annual 628-nautical-mile race from Sydney to Hobart, first run in 1945 and sponsored by Rolex.
RORC: Royal Ocean Racing Club, founded 1925.
Route du Rhum: French solo transatlantic race held every four years.
Royal Yacht Squadron: Historic UK yacht club at Cowes, Isle of Wight, founded 1815.
Royal Yachting Association (RYA): The national governing body for sailing in the United Kingdom.
RS Aero: A modern single-handed dinghy designed by Jo Richards and produced by RS Sailing.
RS200: A two-handed asymmetric dinghy by RS Sailing.
RS400: A two-handed asymmetric dinghy by RS Sailing.
RS500: A two-handed asymmetric dinghy by RS Sailing.
Rudder: Hinged blade aft used to steer.
Run (point of sail): A point of sail with the wind directly astern.
Running rigging: Ropes used to set, trim, and lower sails.

S

Safety Category: The OSR classification (Categories 0 through 5) defining safety requirements for offshore races.
SailGP: The international F50 catamaran circuit founded in 2018 by Larry Ellison and Russell Coutts.
Saint Malo: Breton port and source of many French corsairs from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries.
Salvador da Bahia: Brazilian city that has been a finish port of the Transat Jacques Vabre.
Schooner: Two- or more-masted fore-and-aft rigged vessel of New England origin.
Sheet: Line controlling the angle of a sail.
Shorthanded: Racing with a small crew, including single-handed and double-handed formats.
Single-Handed: Sailed by one person, as in the Vendee Globe and Route du Rhum.
Sloop: Single-masted fore-and-aft rigged vessel with one headsail.
SOG: Speed Over Ground transmitted in AIS in tenths of a knot; 1023 indicates not available.
Solent: The strait between the Isle of Wight and the English mainland, where the Royal Yacht Squadron runs Cowes Week.
Solitaire du Figaro: A French stage race for single-handed sailors, founded in 1970.
Sonar: Sound navigation and ranging device.
Spinnaker: A large, balloon-shaped downwind sail.
Standing rigging: Permanent rigging supporting the masts.
Star: Two-person keelboat designed by Francis Sweisguth, Olympic 1932 to 2012.
Starboard: Right side facing forward.
Starboard Tack: A yacht sailing with the wind on the starboard side, with the mainsail to port.
Start Line: The line, set between the committee boat and a pin, that boats must cross at the gun.
Storm Trysail Club: A New York-based offshore racing club known for the Block Island Race Week.
Stowaway Mast: A mast with in-mast mainsail furling.
Sydney Hobart: Shorthand for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

T

T-Foil: A foil with a horizontal element fitted at the base of a vertical strut, as used on rudders of foiling boats.
Tack: Lower forward corner of a fore-and-aft sail; change direction through the wind.
Tactician: The crew member responsible for race tactics and strategy on the water.
Take-off Speed: The minimum boat speed at which foils generate enough lift to raise the hulls clear of the water.
Team Holcim-PRB: The team, skippered by Kevin Escoffier, that won The Ocean Race 2022-2023.
Tell-tales: Light yarn or ribbon attached to sails to indicate airflow.
The Ocean Race: The current name of the round-the-world crewed offshore race, in use since the 2019 edition.
Tokyo 2020: The Olympic Games held in 2021, whose sailing events were contested in Enoshima.
Topsides: The hull area between the waterline and the deck edge.