Tack (Sailing Manoeuvre)

To change tack by turning a sailing vessel’s bow through the wind.

During the manoeuvre the sails luff and then fill on the opposite side as the vessel passes through the no-go zone. Sufficient momentum, coordinated steering and controlled release and trimming of sheets are needed, with exact timing depending on vessel, rig and conditions.

The noun ‘tack’ can also mean the side from which the wind is received, a leg of an upwind route or the lower forward corner of a sail. Those distinct meanings should have separate entries or be made explicit when the word is used.

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