Parts of a Sail - Sailing Basics Theory

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Parts of a Sail

Theory

The names of different parts of a main sail

Battens
Long thins strips of usually either fibreglass or wood used to support the sail
Clew
Bottom aft corner of a sail
Foot
Bottom edge of a sail
Head
The top of a sail
Leech
Aft edge of a sail
Luff
Front leading edge of a sail
Roach
Sails are not usually a perfect triangle and include an additional curved area on the leech of a sail, called a roach. A roach provides extra power to a sail
Run
A Run, or sometimes just referred to as “Running Downwind”, is a precise point of sail and is when a boat is sailing directly downwind. The sails need to be eased out fully to be at their most efficient. This point of sail will feel the most relaxed out of the all the points of sail as you're travelling with the wind instead of against it
Tack
An act of changing course by turning a boat's head into and through the wind, so as to bring the wind on the opposite side
Tell Tales
Light strips of material attached to the sail to indicate whether the air stream on the sail surface is smooth or turbulent