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You will have a mainsail, and in the case of a two hander a jib at the front of the
boat. You may also have a spinnaker which can only be used when sailing with the wind
behind you. The sails are pulled in and out with ropes which are called sheets. You will
have a mainsheet to control the mainsail. In a two hander you will have a jib sheet
to control the jib, and you may also have a spinnaker sheet to control the spinnaker.
The configuration of the mainsheet between the boom and the hull is called the mainsheet
falls. To hoist the sails you will have rope or wire
running through the mast. These are called halyards. These are simply connected to the
top of the sail and then pulled to hoist. Your boat may also be fitted with a furling
system for the jib. The sail is unrolled by pulling on the jib sheet, and rolled up by
pulling on the furling line.
The spinnaker is controlled by the crew, launched from a chute, and supported with a retractable
bowsprit. To help control the ropes they can run through
fixtures on the hull called fairleads. To hold the ropes easily in place for quick adjustment,
you should use jam cleats. These come in different configurations.
Sails have three corners, called the head, the tack and the clew. The leading edge of
the sail is called the luff, the trailing edge is called the leech, and the bottom edge
is called the foot. To stop the leech of the sail from flapping as you sail along, sail
battens are inserted into pockets along the leech.
Telltales are small strips generally made from wool, fitted towards the front edge or
luff of the sail. These are there to help you when sail setting. You may also have a
flag at the top of your mast, this is called a burgee and it points towards the wind. This
will help your wind awareness as you
sail along.