The following
outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to sailing:
Sailing – the use of wind to provide the primary power via sail(s) or wing to propel a craft over water,
ice or
land. A
sailor manages the
force of the wind on the sails by adjusting their angle with respect to the moving sailing craft and sometimes by adjusting the sail area.
Overview
Sailing can be described as all of the following:
Exercise – bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health or wellness.
Sport – organized, competitive, entertaining, and skillful physical activity requiring commitment, strategy, and fair play, in which a winner can be defined by objective means.
Transport – movement of people and goods from one location to another.
Boating – travel or transport by boat; or the recreational use of a boat (whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels such as rowing and paddle boats) focused on the travel itself or on sports activities, such as fishing.
Travel – movement of people between relatively distant geographical locations for any purpose and any duration, with or without any additional means of transport.
Tourism – travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes.
Rigging – apparatus through which the force of the wind is used to propel sailboats and sailing ships forward. This includes spars (masts, yards, etc.), sails, and cordage.
Standing rigging - the fixed lines, wires, or rods, which support each mast or bowsprit on a sailing vessel and reinforce those spars against wind loads transferred from the sails.
Spar (sailing) – pole of wood, metal or lightweight materials such as carbon fibre used in the rigging of a sailing vessel to carry or support its sail. These include booms and masts, which serve both to deploy sail and resist compressive and bending forces, as well as the bowsprit and spinnaker pole.
Sail a device designed to receive and redirect a force upon a surface area. Traditionally, the surface was engineered of woven fabric and supported by a mast, whose purpose is to propel a sailing vessel.
Sailing (sport) – using sailboats for sporting purposes. It can be recreational or competitive. Competitive sailing is in the form of races.
Types of races
Fleet racing – involves sailboats racing one another over a set course. It is the most common form of sailboat racing.
Match racing – racing between two competitors, going head-to-head.
Team racing – also known as teams racing, is a popular form of dinghy racing and yacht racing. Two teams consisting of 2, 3, or 4 boats compete together in a race, all the boats being of the one class and reasonably evenly matched. The results of each team are combined to decide the winner