Learn the Lingo

Beating	To sail upwind, into the wind
Bow	Front of the boat
Crew	Additional person in the boat that helps to maintain the boats speed by controlling the sails
Centreboard/Daggerboard	Prevent the boat from slipping sideways. Slides or pivots up and down in the centre of the boat to act as a keel
Downwind	Sailing with the wind behind you
Forestay	A piece of standing rigging attached to the mast and the bow which keeps a mast from falling backwards
Gybe	To change a boat’s course when sailing so that the stern moves through the wind. Enables sailor to change direction downwind.
Helm	Person who drives/steers the boat, sits furthest back in the boat
Hike	To lean out of the boat
Hull	The body of the boat
Jib	A sail that fits in between the forestay and the mast
Keel	Projects below the boat down into the water - it enables the boat to sail upwind and helps to prevent it from capsizing
Mainsail	Largest sail on the boat
Port	Nautical term for the left side of the boat when facing forward
Reachingd	Sailing across the wind
Rudder	A flat structure attached upright to the stern of a boat so that it can be used to steer/drive the boat
Running	Sailing downwind, with the wind directly behind you
Sheet	A rope that can be used to let the sails in and out
Spinnaker/Genniker	Large light weight downwind sail, flown from the front part of the boat
Starboard	Nautical term for the right half of the boat when facing forward
Stern	Back of the boat
Tack	Turning the bow of the boat through the wind and changing the sides of the sails. Enables you to change direction upwind.
Trapezing	Act of hanging from the boat on a harness and a wire to counteract the force of the sails to keep the boat upright
Upwind	Sailing towards/into the wind