For those who enjoy sailing the sea with a sailboat, it is as important as ever to know the names of boat sails.
Sailboats were the first vessels used to ply the seas and go exploring, and today, centuries later, they are still regarded as the most fascinating means of sailing.
Whether one wants a small sailboat, suitable even for some fun racing, or can afford a super yacht to sail at cruising speeds, the staple always remains sailing.
The big difference between powerboats and sailboats lies precisely in the propulsion that enables sailing. Sailboats, in fact, primarily harness wind power, which is used through the role of the sails employed.
Generally, the names of boat sails are classified according to their shape:
- square sails are for carrying gaits but not for going against the wind. They can also be isosceles trapezoid-shaped and are mounted mainly on large vessels;
- auric sails are trapezoid-shaped and are located at the stern of boats;
- Latin sails are triangular and are so named because they were used in Roman sailing ships;
- bows are triangular and are used at the bow;
- riprap sails are always triangular but are hoisted between masts.
Nowadays, triangular sails are the most widely used, and the names of boat sails also vary according to how they are used. Let’s find out about them all.
The names of the boats’ sails
The triangular sails used for sailing today are not meant to be a perfect triangle.
To take full advantage of wind power and gather more wind, manufacturers use what is known as alluning, a method that allows for a larger sail area.
That being said, let’s see what the names of boat sails are:
- the Mainsail is the most common and also the largest sail that is hoisted on the main mast;
- the mainsail is hoisted above the mainsail or above the foresail, and is used in more traditional sailboats;
- the mizzen sail is hoisted on a second mast, which is called the mizzen mast;
- the Genoa is also called a foremast or headsail, precisely because it is hoisted in front of the mast;
- the Spinnaker is a very large sail made by employing a fine cloth and with a large closure, it is employed when sailing of swamping;
- the Gennaker is used on cruising boats as an alternative to the spinnaker because of its simplicity, which makes it suitable even for a less experienced crew.
Of these, the mainsail and jib are the basic and most widely used types of sails, which is why they also represent the names of boat sails best known even by laymen.
The ideal solution for customizing your sailboat
The boats are not all the same, but it can certainly happen that walking in the harbor you can see many boats all very similar.
Today the demand is to have a boat that is 100 percent personalized and can express the personality of its owner.
The first touch of originality certainly starts with the energy-efficient and visually striking boat lettering, which can be exploited either for the name of the boat or if you want to put quotes on the hull.
If you don’t want to conform, you can also indulge in boat lights and make unique underwater games, as well as have excellent interior lighting.
At BoatsName we strive every day to take care of every aspect of customizing your boat, which is why we also specialize in making boat mats that you can have either in traditional teak wood or the new Sinteak material.