Yacht Sailing — Glossary

Every Yacht Sailing term explained in plain language: technique, equipment, rules and slang – with tips on avoiding the classic mistakes.

Hiking (Movement)

Leaning far out over the side with your feet locked under the hiking straps, countering the heel with your own weight. A quasi-isometric hold that lives mostly in the quads.

Jibe / Gybe (Movement)

A change of direction where the stern passes through the wind. The counterpart to a tack, where the bow turns through the wind.

Luffing (the luff bubble) (Slang)

The sail flapping because the sheet is eased too far or you are pointing too high. That small bubble along the leading edge is not a fault — it is a trim marker.

Points of Sail (Movement)

Your heading relative to the wind: close-hauled, beam reach, broad reach, running. No boat sails closer than about 45 degrees to the wind — that sector is the no-go zone, and everything stalls in it.

Port Gives Way to Starboard (Rule)

When two boats meet on opposite tacks, the one with the wind on its port side keeps clear. The windward/leeward rule only kicks in once both are on the same tack.

Telltales (Cheat code)

The little wind threads on the sail — the most honest real-time trim feedback on board. When the windward and leeward thread both stream evenly aft, your trim is right.

Trim (Sail & Rig) (Movement)

The fine-tuning of sails and rig — mast rake, shroud tension, outhaul, cunningham, vang. Consistent trim wins more over a season than any spectacular single manoeuvre.

Windward & Leeward (Slang)

Windward is the side the wind comes from, leeward the sheltered side away from it. Your weight belongs to windward — where the wind comes from, not where the boat leans.

General

Terms from training theory that apply in every sport.

1RM (One-Repetition Maximum) (Rule)

The maximum weight you can move for exactly one clean repetition. The reference value behind almost every training plan.

BMR & TDEE (Rule)

BMR is your basal metabolic rate at complete rest; TDEE is total daily expenditure including everyday movement and training. Nutrition targets always work off TDEE.

Cadence (Movement)

Steps per minute when running, or pedal revolutions when cycling. For most runners, 170–180 steps per minute sits in the sweet spot.

Core Tension (Movement)

Active stabilisation of abdomen, back and pelvis — the bridge that lets force travel between legs and arms at all.

Deload (Cheat code)

A deliberately lighter week with volume or intensity clearly reduced, so adaptation can catch up.

DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) (Cheat code)

Delayed muscle soreness 12–72 hours after unfamiliar load. Not a measure of training quality.

Knee Valgus (Movement)

The knees collapsing inward during squats, jumps and landings. One of the key risk markers in technique analysis.

Progressive Overload (Cheat code)

The one principle no training works without long-term: the stimulus has to grow over time, otherwise adaptation stops.

RIR (Reps in Reserve) (Rule)

How many clean reps you had left at the end of a set. RIR 2 means two more were available.

RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) (Rule)

A scale for perceived effort. In strength training it usually runs 1–10, where RPE 8 means you had two more reps in the tank.

Zone 2 (Aerobic Base) (Cheat code)

The easy endurance zone where you can still hold a conversation in full sentences. The base of almost every endurance plan.