Answer: Reaching a destination located almost exactly upwind
The physics of sailing prevent a boat or ship from making progress directly or near directly against the wind, but they do allow sailing at an angle of less than 90 degrees towards the wind. By zigzagging, you can thus reach a destination exactly upwind - this is the basic idea of beating.
From Quiz: Beating the Wind
Answer: 1896
Sailing was introduced into the Olympics at the Games held in Athens, Greece in 1896. Although sailing was on the program for that year it could not take place because of weather concerns. Sailing was not included in the 1900 Olympics, but returned to the regular program in 1904.
From Quiz: Red Sky at Night Sailors Delight
Answer: 1851
In its many years of history, the quest for the Cup has undergone many changes from the original race in 1851 to the present day. Not only in the type of boats competing but the people sailing them. Still, it breaks down to a contest between one defender and one challenger, head to head.
From Quiz: Quest for the America's Cup
Answer: On a shroud
Baggy wrinkles are used to prevent sail chafe and are usually attached to the main shrouds, port and starboard. They can be used on any shroud that may rub against a sail. They were traditionally made by sailors out of old lines cut to various lengths and attached to a central core to form a sleeve.
From Quiz: So You Think You're a Yachtsman?
Answer: lines used for controlling and adjusting sails
On most sailboats there are three sheets-the port jib sheet, the starboard jib sheet and the mainsheet. The jib sheets are the lines (ropes) that control the jib sail and the main sheet controls the mainsail. The saying "being three sheets to the wind" referring to someone who is extremely drunk or out of control comes from this sailing term. On a sailboat if all three of your sheets are out flapping in the wind you have no control over your sails and thus your sailboat.
From Quiz: Sailing, Sailing
Answer: Jessica Watson
Jessica was born on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, so the sea was in her veins from an early age.
From Quiz: Sailing Champ
Answer: Spinnaker
The spinnaker is only used when the wind is coming from behind the vessel. The main and the jib can be used for all points of sail. The mast is the verticle pole the sails are attached to.
From Quiz: Basic Sailing Terminology
Answer: Steer the boat
A tiller is a straight piece of wood or metal which fits into the head of the rudder and is used for steering a boat.
From Quiz: Sail Ho!
Answer: From the Dutch for "hunter"
Yachting for pleasure and sport began in Holland in the late 16th century. The word "yacht" comes from the old Dutch, jacht, an abbreviation of jaghtschip, "hunting ship". These original yachts, which were made for the rich and noble, were 14 to 20 metres (45 to 65 feet) and were fast and maneuverable.
From Quiz: Hello Sailor! Got a Yacht?
Answer: Port and starboard
From the rear of the boat looking forward, the left side of the boat is port and the right side is starboard.
From Quiz: Sailing Fundamentals
Answer: Tide whose range is minimal
Neap tides occur just after the 1st and 3rd quarters of the lunar cycle. These tides occur when there is least difference between high & low water, though sailors usually call the few days each side of neap tide "Neaps". At "neaps", you are less likely to run aground as sea level at low water doesn't go down so much. Conversely, there will be less depth over obstructions at high water than would be the case at higher, i.e. spring tides.
From Quiz: More Sailing Terms
Answer: Left
"No PORT wine LEFT in the bottle" is the easy way to remember this.
From Quiz: Sailing Terms
Answer: Running and Standing
Running rigging controls the movement of the sails. Halyards raise and lower the sails. Sheets are ropes attached to the sails, used to adjust them according to wind and course desired. Standing rigging is used to support the mast, and on small boats consists of two shrouds and a forestay. The shrouds give sideways support, and the forestay gives front and back support, by running from the bow to the top of the mast. Larger boats require more supports to secure the mast.
From Quiz: More Sailing
Answer: Scuppers
From Quiz: Schooner Construction
Answer: Tacking
Tacking is a turning maneuver during which the bow of the vessel crosses the windward line. In the process, the sails need to be rearranged to cross the vessel's midline and be shifted to the other side. The side from which the apparent wind is coming is also referred to as the tack, thus a boat on starboard tack will have its sails on the port side, with wind from starboard providing propulsion.
From Quiz: Beating the Wind
Answer: A schooner
The original "America" was a 110-ton, two-masted schooner. Typical of her day, she was gaff rigged (main and foresail four squared, held and controlled at the upper leach by a wooded pole or Gaff.) She was 101 feet LOA (length overall), 23 foot beam, and had a draft of ten feet. She carried three cannons, perhaps to defend against sore losers in the race.
She was built on the lines of a New York pilot boat, specifically to compete in this race. She sailed to England, in 1851, in response to an invitation, issued to the New York Yacht club, by the Royal Yacht Squadron of England. America competed against 14 other sailing yachts in the "Around the Island" (Isle of Wight) race, which is still held in the 21st century.
From Quiz: Quest for the America's Cup
Answer: At the top of the main mast
The pig stick is used to fly your yacht club burgee. (You do belong to a yacht club, don't you?) The pig stick is designed to be hoisted by a small halyard to the maintop so that the burgee flies above the mast and is free to rotate to show the direction of the apparent wind. This one you won't find at Amazon. I had to make it myself lovingly varnished and with bronze fittings. As my sailing days are over, it now hangs on the wall in the den next to a picture of my 37ft. cutter.
From Quiz: So You Think You're a Yachtsman?
Answer: a line used for raising or lowering sails
In the old large multi-masted square rigged sailing ships with many sails, most sails were attached to a horizontal pole. This pole was known as a yard. A line was attached to the yard to raise or lower that sail. This act was known as "hauling a yard" which became halyard.
From Quiz: Sailing, Sailing
Answer: 23,000
Leaving Australia and traveling east across the Pacific, then the Atlantic and the Indian oceans on the trip, the little sailor's arrival back in the Australian zone at sea was celebrated with a meal of Vegemite and crackers.
From Quiz: Sailing Champ
Answer: Tacking
Turning the boat so that the stern passed through the eye of the wind is called jibing.
From Quiz: Basic Sailing Terminology
Answer: has a retractable keel
It's a fine line between yacht and not, but the traditional divide is the keel. Yachts have fixed keels (and can generally sink). Sailing boats that have a retractable keel (and cannot usually sink) are called sailing dinghies. There are sailing dinghies larger than some small yachts. Notwithstanding all the above, classified ads for most sailing craft describe them as yachts, as do owners to people who will never actually see their pride and joy.
From Quiz: Hello Sailor! Got a Yacht?
Answer: Yellow
The yellow flag is the international signal flag for, "my vessel is healthy". It is known as the "Q" flag, and in effect invites Customs Officers to inspect your vessel. Once inspected, or after a specified period awaiting inspection, the Q flag can be lowered, and need not be raised again while inside the territorial waters of that country.
From Quiz: More Sailing Terms
Answer: Green
Starboard is of course "right", so think of "green for go is all right"!
From Quiz: Sailing Terms
Answer: line
The art of knot tying, splicing, and whipping is called marlinspike.
From Quiz: Nautical Knowledge
Answer: Windward and Leeward
The weather is the side on to which the wind is blowing, while the lee is the opposite or sheltered side of the boat. These are interchangable according to direction.
From Quiz: More Sailing
Answer: about six months
From Quiz: Schooner Construction
Answer: Great Britain
Ben Ainslie sailed for Great Britain and won five Olympic medals between the years 1996 and 2012, becoming the first sailor to achieve the feat of winning a medal at five consecutive Games. He sailed the Laser and Finn classes, which were in the heavyweight class at the Olympics and involve a single handed dinghy.
From Quiz: Red Sky at Night Sailors Delight
Answer: A large silver ewer (pitcher)
The Cup was originally called the "Royal Yacht Squadron Cup" or the "RYS Cup for 100 Sovereigns" until the "America" won the Cowells race, when it was renamed The America's Cup. It was created in 1848 by R&S Garrard Ltd., silversmiths in England. The Cup is normally proudly displayed in the trophy case of the defending yacht club.
While in the custody of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron in 1997, the Cup was badly damaged with a sledge hammer wielded by a deranged man (a power boater, no doubt). It was repaired, at no charge, by the original silversmith establishment in England.
It is affectionately known as the "Auld Mug".
From Quiz: Quest for the America's Cup
Answer: port, starboard
It is believed that in olden days when sailors were learning about the affect of a keel on sailing, they would attach a board known as a "star board" to the right side of the boat to perform the function of a keel. If you attempted to dock on the right side of the boat you would damage or break the "star board." That is why they would put the opposite side of the boat next to the "port."
From Quiz: Sailing, Sailing
Answer: 210
The halfway point around the world was passed on the 100th day of the trip. Just south of Australia on the final leg, the weather was so bad it tilted the boat on angles so steep that the mast went deep into the sea.
From Quiz: Sailing Champ
Answer: Halyard
A sheet controls the sails angle to the wind. A painter is also known as the bow line. A teather is used to tie objects to the boat.
From Quiz: Basic Sailing Terminology
Answer: Six feet
A fathom is a measure of water depth equal to six feet.
From Quiz: Sail Ho!
Answer: In the chain locker
These are all parts of anchors. There are several general types in common use. Examples are Danforth, CQR, patent, and admiralty.
From Quiz: Hello Sailor! Got a Yacht?
Answer: Halyards
When the halyard is not secure and no sail is attached, keep a firm grip to the shackle because if it slips out of your reach, you may have to climb the mast to retrieve it.
From Quiz: Sailing Fundamentals
Answer: Schooner
Other vessels such as ketches, yawls and brigs also have 2 masts, but do not meet this precise description of the schooner.
From Quiz: Sailing Terms
Answer: shrouds
Check your shroud tension. Loose shrouds are the one of the main causes of dismasting.
From Quiz: Nautical Knowledge
Answer: jib
Main sail is the larger sail that you can't sail without, quite obviously the main sail. The Spinaker and Jib sails are raised at the head of the boat and are therefore headsails. Second and front sails are, to the extent of my knowledge, are not sails.
From Quiz: Sailboat Parts
Answer: Serve and Parcel it
From Quiz: Schooner Construction
Answer: The "J" Class
In 1903, to eliminate the need for complicated handicapping of America's Cup contenders, the Universal Rule for sailing boats entering the cup challenges was established. It, as were subsequent racing rules, was based on a complex formula involving length overall of the hull (LOA), sail area, and displacement, as well as other factors.
This resulted in the "J" class America's Cup contenders. The boats varied in LOA from 119ft to 135ft, with an average displacement of 150 tons and an average sail area of 7,500 square feet.
The class first appeared as conversions of existing craft in 1893 and continued with as many as ten "hull up" "Js" trying for cup competition. In 2001 a revival of the class was started because of their beauty. Nine "J" class boats existing today are replicas of America's Cup contenders.
From Quiz: Quest for the America's Cup