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Port Tack
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When you have the wind on your port side (left)
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Starboard Tack
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When you have the wind on your starboard side (right)
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Aft
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At or near the stern
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Astern
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Behind or near the back of the boat
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Batten
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Strips of wood or plastic supporting the sail's leech
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Beam
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Maximum width of boat
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Bear away
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Turn the boat away from the wind
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Block
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Pulley
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Boom
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Support for the foot of the sail
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Boom vang
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Pulley for the foot of the sail
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Bow
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Front of the boat
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Centreboard
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Plate below the boat that stops you sliding sideways
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Cleat
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Fitting to secure ropes
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Clew
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Lower corner of the sail, nearest the back of the boat
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Current
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Water flow produced by the tide
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Down Wind
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Away from the wind
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Drag
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Resistance of the boat moving through the water or air
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Foils
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Collective term for centreboard and rudder
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Foot
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Lower edge of a sail
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Forestay
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Wire leading from the near the top of the mast to the bow
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Gooseneck
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Swivel fitting on the mast to which the boom is attached
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Goose-wing
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When the jib is set on the opposite side to the mainsail
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Gunwhale
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The edge of the boat on the windward side of the boat, on which you may sit, when tacking
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Gybe
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To turn the stern through the direction of the wind
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Halyard
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Rope or wire used to hoist and lower a sail
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Head-to-wind
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Pointing directly into the wind
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Heel
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Angle at which the boat angles when sailing
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Jib
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Smaller forward sail
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Leech
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Aft edge of sail
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Leeward
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The side away from the wind
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Leeway
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Sideways drift produced by wind and current
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Luff
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Forward edge of a sail
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Luff up
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To turn the boat towards the wind
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Mainsail
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Larger sail aft set on the mast
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Mainsheet
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Rope used for trimming mainsail
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Mast
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Vertical spar supporting the sails
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No go zone
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Area into which a boat cannot sail directly into the wind
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Outhaul
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Rope used to tension the foot of the sail
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Pinching
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Sailing too close to the wind and slowing the boat
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Reaching
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Sailing directly across the wind
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Reef
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To reduce the size of the sails in strong winds
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Running
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Sailing with the wind
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Sheet
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Rope used to trim a sail
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Sheet in
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To pull on the sheet adjusting the position of the sails
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Sheet off
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To ease out the mainsheet
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Shrouds
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Wires from the top of the mast to the side of the boat
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Spinnaker
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Large lightweight triangular sail for off wind sailing
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Tack
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Turning the bow of the boat through the wind
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Tide
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A rise or fall in water level produced by gravitational pull on the earth's surface
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Tiller/Wheel
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Devices which allow the skipper or helmsman to steer the boat
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Trim the sails
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Adjusting the sails in and out as the wind changes direction and strengths
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Upwind
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Towards the wind
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Windward
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Side close to the wind
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