‘Head to Wind’ To point the bow in the direction that the wind is blowing from,
causing the sails to flap
‘Heave to’ To stop the boat by easing the main sheet and backing the jib
Heel A boat ‘heels’ when it leans over due to the sideways force of
the wind
Helm/Helmsman The person who steers the boat, or another name for the tiller
Hoist Block Block behind which the gennaker halyard is pulled when hoisting
the gennaker
Hull The hollow, lower-most part of the boat, floating partially submerged
and supporting the rest of the boat
I
‘Into the Wind’ To point the bow in the direction that the wind is blowing from,
causing the sails to flap
Inversion A capsize where the boat turns upside down, or ‘turtles’
J
Jammer
Another word for a cleat
Jib
The small sail in front of the mast
Jib Sheet
The rope used to control the jib
K
Kicking strap The rope system that is attached to the base of the mast and
the boom, helping to hold the boom down
Knot A measurement of speed, based on one minute of latitude
L
Launching
To leave the slipway