Main Content
Safety line
Webbing strap about 1.5 m long with snap hooks. Fastened to the personal safety harness and the boat.
Sail loft
A place where sails are made and repaired.
Sea State
A part of the Beaufort scale which describes the height and danger of the wave formation caused by wind.
Separation
The distance between the boats measured 90 degrees on a line running from start to finish.
Screaming fifties
Between 50 and 60 degrees south.
Shackle
Metal fitting for attaching ropes to blocks, blocks to pad eyes etc.
Sheet
Rope that controls a sail.
Shroud
Wires, rods or a special construction attached to the side of the mast and usually lead over spreaders, helping to hold up the mast and to control its bend.
Skipper
The person in charge onboard.
Skin fitting
A fitting fastened each side of the hull skin. Can be opened in order to pass fluids in or out.
Snap shackle
Quick release shackle used to attach things like spinnaker sheets to spinnakers. Usually released by poking a spike through an aperture in the shackle which releases a trigger - which is why bowmen have spikes slung on their climbing harnesses.
Soundings
Numbers on a chart showing depth.
Southern Ocean
Ocean between Antarctica and around 40 degrees south.
Spar
A part of the rig used to support a sail, for instance, mast, boom, spinnaker pole, bowsprit.
Spinnaker
Big, lightweight sail for faster sailing off the wind. Divided into asymmetric and symmetrical spinnakers, Volvo Open 70s generally use only asymmetric spinnakers.
Spreader
A strut from the side of the mast used to give a wider angle to stays and therefore reduce compression on the mast.
Spring tide
Tides with the biggest range and strongest currents.
Starboard
Right hand side of the boat (facing forwards).
Stay
Part of the rigging (standing rigging) used to hold up the mast. A generic term for the individual parts of standing rigging like forestays, backstays, cap shrouds, intermediates and diagonals.
Staysail
A small headsail set back from the bow and between the jib and mainsail to effectively narrow the slot between the jib and the mainsail. Also used when sailing at certain wind angles with an asymmetrical spinnaker.
Standby watch
Someone who is dressed to go on deck even if he is off watch.
Standing rigging
Shrouds and stays which keep the mast in place.
Stanchions
Posts which hold life lines along the rail.
Starboard tack
The sails' position when sailing with the wind from starboard.
StealthPlay
A new tactical initiative for the 2008-09 race, gives the crews one opportunity on each of the longer legs to have their location hidden from position reports and the public for 24 hours (increased from 12 hours from Leg 5 onwards).
In order to deploy a StealthPlay, a team must call Race Headquarters within 30 minutes of the position report being released. The play will last for the next 12 hours and the boat's position will not be shown on the three scheduled reports normally released within that period. The boat will become visible again at the next position report after that period.
Race HQ will continue to monitor each boat's progress every 15 minutes for safety reasons, but this information is not made public until the StealthPlay is over.
Position reporting times will be every three hours at 1000, 1300, 1600, 1900, 2200.
Stern
Back of the boat.
Storm jib
A headsail fastened on the forestay used in winds over 60 knots.
Strobe
A small emergency light which gives of sharp blinks. Everyone carries one at night.
Squall
A cloud formation containing wind and rain.
Tack
A change of direction by turning the bow of the boat through the wind. Bottom forward corner of a sail.
Tack line
Line that attaches the tack of an asymmetric spinnaker to the bowsprit or spinnaker pole. The tack is adjustable to allow the set of the sail to be altered for different wind conditions and to make it easier to take down.
Tackle
A system of blocks arranged so as to multiply the power being applied to a rope or line. For instance a four to one tackle will increase the force applied by four, at the expense of having to move four times as much rope.
Tidal height
Depth of water above chart datum.
Tidal range
Difference between low and high water.
Tidal stream
Direction of the tide's flow.
Tiller
A horizontal rod, bar or similar device attached to the top of the rudder and used to steer the boat.
To leeward
The side of the boat the wind is blowing out from.
To windward
The side of the boat the wind is blowing onto.
Torsion
Forces that twist, for example on the keel.
Trade winds
The stable, strong wind which blows both sides of the equator.
Transit
Lining up two fixed objects to keep you on course, for example, if the tide is pushing you sideways.
Transom
The flat bit across the back - or stern - of the boat.
Traveller
A moving car, usually with ball bearings, that runs on specially made track to allow a sheet lead to be adjusted.
Trim
Keeping the boat level fore and aft.
Trimmer
Crew member with special responsibility for adjusting the sails to every nuance of wind speed or direction.
True wind
The direction and strength of the wind when the boat is dead in the water. When underway, instruments calculate the true wind by taking into account boat speed and relative wind.
Trysail
An emergency sail for very severe wind conditions. Made from heavyweight synthetic sail cloth, usually set without a boom and often tied round the mast so it can be used if there has been a major failure of the mainsail or mast.
