Aft - At the back of the boat

Astern - Behind the boat

Batten - Lightweight strip inserted into sail to help hold its shape

Beam reach - A point of sailing where the boat is sailing at 90 degrees to the wind

Bearing away - To alter course by turning the boat away from the wind

Beating - Sailing towards the wind in a series of tacks

Boom - A horizontal spar attached to the mast that supports the mainsail

Bow - The forward end of a boat

Bowsprit - A spar that extends from the bow to support the asymmetric spinnaker

Broad reach - A point of sailing where the boat is pointing away from the wind at an angle of approx 135 degrees to the wind

Buoyancy tanks - Sealed tanks in the hull of dinghies that contain buoyancy to support the boat

Burgee - Small flag at the mast head which is used to indicate wind direction

Centreboard - A large plate that pivots and retracts inside the boat, used to prevent sideways slip (called leeway) particularly when sailing close hauled

Centreline - The centre of the boat running from the stern to the bow

Cleat - Fittings that come in a variety of shapes and sizes either on a boat or pontoon used to secure or hold fast a control line or mooring line

Clew - The lower aft corner of a sail

Close hauled - The point of sailing required to sail as close as possible to the wind. This is the edge of the no go zone

Close reach - Point of sailing where the boat is approximately 60 degrees to the wind

Control line - Piece of rope or cord used to control an individual part of the sail

Crew - In the context of these videos the crew is the person controlling the headsail on a two handed dinghy

Cross shore wind - Wind that blows parallel to the beach or pontoon

Cunningham - A control line used to tension the luff (leading edge) of the mainsail mainly used on windy days

Dagger board - Lifting blade that moves up and down through its case to prevent sideways slip (called leeway) particularly when sailing close hauled

Dagger grip - Term used to describe way that helmsman holds mainsheet and tiller extension

Dead run - Point of sailing where the boat is sailing with the wind directly behind

Downhaul - Control line used to either tension the leading edge or luff of the sail. Similar to a Cunningham

Drainage bungs - Small close fitting plugs inserted into drainage ports on the buoyancy tanks

Fairlead - A fixed and rigid fitting normally screwed to the hull that allows a control line to have its direction of travel altered

Fore - Towards the front or bow of the boat

Forestay - A wire rigging that supports the mast at the bow of the boat

Furl - Roll up a sail

Gooseneck - Universal joint that connects boom to mast

Gunwale - The outer edge of the side of a boat

Gybe (gybing) - To change course from one side of the wind to the other, sailing downwind

Halyard - A line either made of rope or wire used to raise sails on a boat, for example "the main halyard" is the line used to raise the mainsail

Head - Top corner of any sail

Headsail (or jib) - The front sail on a two handed dinghy controlled by the crew

Head to wind - Position of the boat when the bow is pointing directly into the wind

Helm - The rudder assembly

Helmsman / Helm - Person steering the boat, applies to both male and female

Hove to - Position where the boat is stopped with the jib or headsail is backed and the mainsail is flapping

Jam cleat - A cleat which is designed to allow a rope to be fastened quickly

Jib (or headsail) - The front sail on a two handed dinghy controlled by the crew

Jibsheet - The control line used to pull the jib in or let it out

Kicking strap - Light tackle angled from the boom to a lower part of the mast or some point on the floor of the boat to stop the boom from rising when the mainsheet is released

Lee - The side facing away from the direction the wind is travelling

Leech - Back edge of a sail

Lee shore - Beach where wind is blowing directly onto it

Leeward - The side of the boat or pontoon opposite to where the wind is blowing from

Luff - The leading edge of a sail

Luff up (or luffing) - To turn the boat from one point of sailing to another that is closer to the wind

Lying to - Where the boat is lying on a beam reach point of sailing with the sails released and flapping and the centreboard half raised

Mainsail - The main sail on a boat, the largest sail (except for the spinnaker) controlled by the helmsman

Mainsheet - The line used to pull the mainsail in or let it out

Mainsheet falls - Mainsheet pulley system

Mast - A vertical spar or pole that holds the sails in position

Masthead - The top of a mast

No go zone - The area in which a boat won’t sail, 45 degrees either side of where the wind is blowing from

Offshore wind - A wind blowing off the land

Onshore wind - A wind blowing onto the land, often creates a lee shore

Outhaul - A control line that is used to pull the clew of the sail towards the end of the boom

Painter - A line attached to the bow of dinghies or other small boats for use in securing or mooring

Planing - When a boat travels fast on a windy day the bow lifts out the water

Point of sailing - Any direction of sailing

Pontoon - A low flat floating platform

Port Side - The left side of the boat when looking forwards

Port tack - Any point of sailing with the wind on the left hand side

Reaching - Holding a course with the wind roughly abeam (on the side of the boat.) i.e. sailing across the wind

Reef - Reduce the area of a sail

Reefing - An action that is designed to reduce the size of a sail during periods of strong wind, in order to improve the ship's stability

Retrieval line - Line used to retrieve or stow a sail

Rig - The arrangement of all sails, spars and masts on a boat

Rigging - The system of all ropes, lines and wires that support and control sails and mast on a boat. Also the process of attaching the sails to the boat

Rudder / rudder blade - A flat, underwater blade that steers the boat

Running - Point of sailing where the wind is behind the boat

Safety pin / clip - Pin designed to secure a removable part of the boat’s fixtures or fittings

Sailboat - a small sailing vessel; usually with a single mast. An alternative name for a dinghy.

Shackle - U shaped removable fixing

Sheet - A control line used to trim sails

Shroud - Wires supporting the mast on either side of the boat

Side tanks - Generally the area that you sit on while sailing, usually the buoyancy tanks

Spinnaker - A large, often colourful sail made of a lightweight cloth

Spinnaker chute - Storage place for the spinnaker

Spreaders - Horizontal brackets fitted to mast to support shrouds

Starboard side - The right side of the boat when looking forwards

Starboard tack - Any point of sailing with the wind on the right hand side

Stern (or transom) - The back of the boat

Stuck in irons - A term used when the boat is stationary with the bow head to wind

Tack - The manoeuvre used to alter direction by turning across the wind, the bow goes from one side of the no go zone to the other. Or the lower front corner of a sail

Tell-Tales - Strips of fabric attached to sails that are to indicate the wind and right trim

Thwart - Seat running across a dinghy

Tiller - Attachment to the rudder by which it is controlled

Tiller extension - Connected to the tiller, held by helmsman

Toe straps - Permanently fixed webbing straps to allow helm and crew to lean out

Training run - Point of sailing where the boat is travelling at 150 degrees to the wind

Transom (or stern) - The back end of the boat

Uphaul - A control line used to raise something

Wearing round - Manoeuvre used to avoid a gybe but continue sailing on a downwind point of sailing

Windward - Towards the wind