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Tack is a term used in sailing that has different meanings in different contexts.
Sail
The tack is the lower corner of the sail's leading edge. On a sloop rigged sailboat, the mainsail tack is connected to the mast and the boom at the gooseneck. On the same boat, a foresail tack is clipped to the deck and forestay.
Maneuver
A tack or coming about is the maneuvre by which a sailing boat or yacht turns its bow through the wind so that the wind changes from one side to the other. This is contradictory to a jibe which is turning the stern of the boat through the wind.
In small boats with low booms, the skipper should generally announce, "Ready about" to prepare the crew for the tack and the swinging of the boom, which can otherwise cause serious injury to an unprepared crew member. Upon the acknowledgement of the crew, the skipper announces, "Coming about". or alternatively "Helm's a-lee", "Hard a-lee", or "Lee Ho" during the actual tacking.
Before tacking, it is in good practice to have a considerable amount of speed before doing so in order to complete the tack. If a vessel hasn't enough speed to complete a tack, the wind may overpower the boat's turn, thus forcing it back on its previous course, or the vessel may become in irons, not moving at all.
An auto tack is when a sailboat turns its bow through the wind by accident. This is usually occurs when a steady hand is not kept on the tiller or steering wheel. Auto tacks are more likely to occur when a sail boat is close hauled.
Tacking or beating to windward may also refer to the process of beating a course upwind, back and forth, without actually coming about.
Position
As a noun, tack describes the position of a sailboat's bow with respect to the wind. If the vessel's bow is positioned so that the wind is blowing across the starboard (right) side of the vessel, then the vessel is said to be on a starboard tack. If the wind is blowing across the port (left) side of the vessel, then the vessel is said to be on a port tack. By definition, this is the side opposite that which the boom is carried, since it can be difficult when a boat is sailing downwind or nearly downwind from which side the wind is coming. A sailing vessel on a starboard tack always has the right-of-way over another sailing vessel on "port tack" by both the rules of the road and racing rules.
sailing vessels and rigging | Nautical terms | Sailing manoeuvres
"Tack (sailing)"