How Sailing Works: An Interactive Guide
Turn the boat, turn the wind, and watch what the sails do. Then tap your way around the boat to learn what everything is called. It takes about ten minutes and covers the basics you'd meet in the first days of ASA 101, the beginner sailing certification.
Part 1
Points of sail
A sailboat can't sail straight into the wind, but it can sail in every other direction. Each direction has a name, and each one changes how far out the sails go, how fast the boat moves and how much it leans. Turn the boat or the wind and see for yourself. The numbers are for a typical 40-foot cruising yacht in a steady 12-knot breeze.
Beam reach
Port tack · 90° off the wind
- Sails
- Eased about halfway
- Speed
- 7.3 knots
- Heel
- 12°
Drag the boat or the blue wind arrow
Jump to a point of sail
From the glossary
Beam Reach
A beam reach is a point of sail where the wind comes from directly abeam (90° to the boat's heading). It's often the fastest, most comfortable point of sail — good boat speed, moderate heel, and none of the concentration that close-hauled sailing demands.
See Beam Reach in the glossary →Quick refresher quiz
Six questions on the points of sail and the manoeuvres that link them. It takes about a minute.
The points of sail at a glance
From closest to the wind to furthest. Speed and heel are for a typical 40-foot cruising yacht in a steady 12-knot breeze. For the full explanation, read our guide to the points of sail.
No-go zone
Closer than 40° to the wind
The no-go zone is the arc of roughly 40° to 45° either side of the wind direction in which a sailboat cannot sail, because its sails can only flap instead of filling.
- Sails
- Flapping, no drive
- Speed
- 0.0 knots
- Heel
- 0°
Close-hauled
40° to 52° off the wind
Close-hauled is the point of sail closest to the wind a boat can sail while still maintaining forward drive, typically around 45° off the true wind.
- Sails
- Pulled in tight
- Speed
- 5.6 knots
- Heel
- 20°
Close reach
52° to 80° off the wind
A close reach is a point of sail between close-hauled and a beam reach, with the wind forward of abeam.
- Sails
- Eased a little
- Speed
- 6.7 knots
- Heel
- 17°
Beam reach
80° to 100° off the wind
A beam reach is a point of sail where the wind comes from directly abeam (90° to the boat's heading).
- Sails
- Eased about halfway
- Speed
- 7.3 knots
- Heel
- 12°
Broad reach
100° to 165° off the wind
A broad reach is a point of sail where the wind comes from behind and to one side of the boat, between a beam reach and a run.
- Sails
- Eased well out
- Speed
- 6.8 knots
- Heel
- 6°
Running
165° to 180° off the wind
Running is the point of sail with the wind coming from directly (or nearly directly) behind the boat.
- Sails
- All the way out
- Speed
- 5.2 knots
- Heel
- 1°
On a screen the boat does what you tell it. On the water you feel it lean and pick up speed as you turn, and that is when it clicks. You learn all of this hands-on in one week, no experience needed. See our beginner courses
Part 2
Parts of the boat
Sailors have a name for everything, and knowing the names is what lets a crew work together. Start with the hull and deck, then the sails, then the rigging that holds it all up and controls it. Tap any dot to see what it is.
Tap a dot on the boat, or pick a name above, to see what it is and what it does.
Name that part
Eight questions. Sometimes we point and you name it, sometimes we name it and you find it.
Parts of a sailboat: quick reference
Every part from the diagram above with its one-line definition. Each name links to the full entry in the glossary, and there is more in our guide to the parts of a sailboat.
Hull and deck
- Bow
- The bow is the forward-most part of a boat.
- Pulpit
- The pulpit is the raised guardrail at the very bow (or stern, where it's called the pushpit) of a boat.
- Cleat
- A cleat is a fitting with two projecting horns around which a line is wrapped and secured.
- Lifelines
- Lifelines are the wire or rope railings, supported by stanchions, that run around the outer edge of the deck to help stop crew falling overboard.
- Hull
- The hull is the main body of a boat — everything below the deck that displaces water and keeps you afloat.
- Keel
- The keel is the fixed fin beneath the hull that provides stability, resists sideways sliding, and (on most sailboats) houses ballast weight.
- Mast
- The mast is the vertical spar that holds up the sails and rigging.
- Boom
- The boom is the horizontal spar that extends from the base of the mast and holds the foot of the mainsail taut.
- Winch
- A winch is a geared mechanical drum used to multiply the crew's pulling force when hauling in a sheet or halyard.
- Cockpit
- The cockpit is the recessed area, usually near the stern, where the crew sits or stands to steer and handle the sails.
- Helm
- The helm is the wheel or tiller used to steer a boat, and by extension the term for whoever is steering it.
- Pushpit
- The pushpit is the raised guardrail at the stern, mirroring the pulpit at the bow.
- Stern
- The stern is the rear-most part of a boat.
- Transom
- The transom is the flat (or sometimes curved) structure across the stern of the hull.
- Rudder
- The rudder is the underwater blade at the stern that steers the boat by deflecting water flow.
Sails
- Head
- The head of a sail is its top corner, where the halyard attaches to hoist it.
- Luff
- The luff is the forward (leading) edge of a sail, the part that meets the wind first.
- Batten
- A batten is a rigid strip inserted into a pocket in the sail's leech to help it hold its shape.
- Leech
- The leech is the trailing (back) edge of a sail, running from the head to the clew.
- Mainsail
- The mainsail is the primary sail set on the aft side of the mast, attached to the boom along its foot.
- Tack
- The tack is the forward lower corner of a sail, where the luff meets the foot.
- Foot
- The foot is the bottom edge of a sail, running from the tack to the clew.
- Clew
- The clew is the aft lower corner of a sail, where the sheet attaches.
- Jib
- A jib is a triangular headsail set forward of the mast, smaller than a genoa and typically not overlapping the mast.
- Telltales
- Telltales are short lengths of wool or ribbon attached to a sail to show the airflow across its surface.
Rigging
- Forestay
- The forestay is the standing rigging wire running from the bow to the top (or partway up) the mast, and it usually carries the headsail.
- Halyard
- A halyard is a line used to hoist a sail up the mast.
- Spreaders
- Spreaders are horizontal struts partway up the mast that hold the shrouds out at an angle, improving their ability to support the mast sideways.
- Shroud
- A shroud is a wire or rod that runs from the mast to the sides of the deck to support it laterally.
- Topping Lift
- A topping lift is a line that supports the boom (or spinnaker pole) when the sail isn't hoisted or under load.
- Backstay
- The backstay is the standing rigging wire running from the top of the mast to the stern, balancing the forward pull of the forestay.
- Outhaul
- The outhaul is the line that tensions the foot of the mainsail by pulling the clew towards the end of the boom.
- Mainsheet
- The mainsheet is the line used to control the angle of the mainsail relative to the wind.
- Boom Vang (Kicking Strap)
- A boom vang — called a "kicking strap" in British and Australian usage — is a line or hydraulic ram that pulls the boom down to control mainsail twist.
- Sheet
- A sheet is a line used to control the angle of a sail to the wind by pulling it in or letting it out.
- Traveller
- A traveller is a track and car system, usually mounted across the cockpit, that lets the mainsheet's attachment point move side to side.
These names stick fastest when you're using them. A couple of days into a beginner course you'll be asking for the mainsheet without thinking about it. See our beginner courses
Common questions about how sailing works
Why can't a sailboat sail straight into the wind?
The no-go zone is the arc of roughly 40° to 45° either side of the wind direction in which a sailboat cannot sail, because its sails can only flap instead of filling. Close-hauled is the point of sail closest to the wind a boat can sail while still maintaining forward drive, typically around 45° off the true wind. To get upwind, a boat zig-zags: it sails close-hauled on one side of the wind, tacks, and sails close-hauled on the other.
What is the fastest point of sail?
For most cruising yachts it is a beam reach, or a little further off the wind. A beam reach is a point of sail where the wind comes from directly abeam (90° to the boat's heading). In this guide's example, a typical 40-foot cruising yacht in 12 knots of wind makes about 7.3 knots on a beam reach, 5.6 knots close-hauled and 5.2 knots running.
What is the difference between tacking and gybing?
Tacking is a manoeuvre in which the bow of the boat turns through the wind, causing the sails to switch from one side to the other, typically used to sail upwind in a zig-zag pattern. A gybe — spelled "jibe" in American English — is a manoeuvre in which the stern of the boat passes through the wind, causing the boom and sails to swing rapidly from one side to the other.
What do heading up and bearing away mean?
Heading up means turning the boat's bow towards the wind direction, onto a closer point of sail. Bearing away means turning the boat's bow away from the wind direction, onto a broader point of sail.
What is the difference between port tack and starboard tack?
A vessel is on port tack when the wind is blowing over its port (left) side, with the boom typically out to starboard. A vessel is on starboard tack when the wind is blowing over its starboard (right) side, with the boom typically out to port.
What are the main parts of a sailboat?
The hull is the main body of a boat — everything below the deck that displaces water and keeps you afloat. The keel is the fixed fin beneath the hull that provides stability, resists sideways sliding, and (on most sailboats) houses ballast weight. The rudder is the underwater blade at the stern that steers the boat by deflecting water flow. The mast is the vertical spar that holds up the sails and rigging. The boom is the horizontal spar that extends from the base of the mast and holds the foot of the mainsail taut. The mainsail is the primary sail set on the aft side of the mast, attached to the boom along its foot. A jib is a triangular headsail set forward of the mast, smaller than a genoa and typically not overlapping the mast.
What are the corners and edges of a sail called?
A triangular sail has three corners and three edges. The head of a sail is its top corner, where the halyard attaches to hoist it. The tack is the forward lower corner of a sail, where the luff meets the foot. The clew is the aft lower corner of a sail, where the sheet attaches. The luff is the forward (leading) edge of a sail, the part that meets the wind first. The leech is the trailing (back) edge of a sail, running from the head to the clew. The foot is the bottom edge of a sail, running from the tack to the clew.
What is the difference between standing rigging and running rigging?
Standing rigging is the fixed wires and rods — shrouds, forestay, backstay — that permanently support the mast. Running rigging is the collective term for all the lines used to control and adjust the sails — halyards, sheets, outhauls, and reefing lines.
Teaching someone to sail? Sailing instructors, clubs and schools are welcome to link to this guide or use it in class. Each point of sail has its own link, for example close-hauled.
Want the full list? Browse every term in the sailing glossary.