SEAMANSHIP · Lesson 2 of 6
Sails and Rigging
25 min · Beginner friendly
You’ll learn toDistinguish standing rigging from running rigging · Name the parts and edges of a mainsail and headsail · Explain what halyards, sheets and the kicker each do
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Every rope and wire in a yacht's rig belongs to one of two families, sorted by a single test: does it move? Fixed wires that hold the mast up are standing rigging; the working ropes you haul and ease are running rigging. Almost every training yacht is a sloop — one mast, a mainsail behind it, a headsail in — so that is the rig used throughout.
Take a guess
First sail, and the skipper calls: Ease the genoa sheet! Decide: what do you actually do?
Commit to an answer before reading on — a wrong guess here helps the right idea stick.
Holding the Mast Up
The mast stays up because fixed stainless wires pull on it from every direction at once, each named for where it pulls. Find each one on the diagram before you read its job.
Knowledge check
Which of these is part of the standing rigging?
- Forestay
- The wire from the mast to the bow, stopping the mast falling backwards. The headsail hoists on or around it.
- Backstay
- The wire from the masthead to the stern, stopping the mast falling forwards.
- Shrouds
- The wires supporting the mast from each side — cap to the masthead, lower shrouds to the middle.
- Spreaders
- Struts partway up the mast that push the cap shrouds outwards, improving their supporting angle.
- Gooseneck
- The hinged fitting joining the boom to the mast, letting the boom swing from side to side.
Making the Sails Work
Knowledge check
Sailing downwind, the boom keeps lifting and the mainsail is losing its shape. Which line pulls the boom down?
Running rigging is named for its job. Halyards hoist sails up and lower them; sheets trim them in and out relative to the wind. A line usually carries the name of the sail it serves — the main halyard hoists the mainsail, the genoa sheets trim the genoa. Say the job and you have said the name.
- Outhaul
- Tensions the foot of the mainsail along the boom — tighter for a flatter sail.
- Topping lift
- Holds the boom up when the mainsail is lowered.
- Reefing lines
- Pull down and secure part of the mainsail to reduce its area — taking in a reef.
- Furling line
- Rolls a furling headsail away around the forestay, like a roller blind.
The Sails and Their Parts
Knowledge check
On a headsail, where exactly do the sheets attach?
| Name | What it is | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Top corner | Attached to the halyard, hoisted up |
| Tack | Forward lower corner | Fixed at the (main) or bow (headsail) |
| Clew | Aft lower corner | Where the sheets or attach |
| Luff | Leading edge | Along the mast or forestay |
| Leech | Trailing edge | The free aft edge |
| Foot | Bottom edge | Along the boom, or free on a headsail |
The mainsail sets behind the mast; the headsail sets on the forestay — a small one is a jib, one large enough to overlap the mast is a genoa. Two details finish the picture: battens, stiff slats that support the curved leech, and telltales, short wool ribbons that stream smoothly aft on both sides when the sail is trimmed well.
Reefing and Sail Shape
Sails are the engine, and reefing is the throttle: rolling away part of the genoa on its furler, and pulling the mainsail down to a reefing point with the . A reefed boat sails more upright, steers more lightly and is barely slower — so reef the moment you first wonder whether you should.
The shape controls fine-tune the rest. Tightening the outhaul, halyard and kicker flattens a sail — less power, less heel, right for stronger wind. Easing them makes it deeper and more powerful for light airs. You do not need trim theory yet; you need drop the kicker or tension the outhaul to send you to the correct rope, first time.
Your turn
Match each line to its job: (a) main halyard, (b) genoa sheet, (c) kicker, (d) topping lift, (e) furling line. Jobs: 1. trims the headsail in and out; 2. holds the boom up when the main is down; 3. hoists the mainsail; 4. rolls the headsail away; 5. pulls the boom down to flatten the mainsail.
Work it through on paper first — then check yourself against the solution. Reading a worked answer feels like learning; producing one is learning.
Key points
- Standing rigging is fixed wire supporting the mast; running rigging is the working ropes you adjust.
- Forestay and backstay support the mast fore and aft; shrouds and support it sideways.
- Halyards hoist sails; sheets trim them; the kicker pulls the boom down; the holds it up.
- Sail corners: head (top), tack (forward, fixed), clew (aft, where sheets attach).
- Sail edges: luff (leading), leech (trailing), foot (bottom); battens stiffen the leech, telltales show airflow.
- Reef early: reducing sail keeps the boat upright, safe and nearly as fast.
Finished this lesson?
Working through the sections marks it complete — or mark it yourself.