A point of sail is a boat's heading described by its angle to the wind. Discover Boating names five: close-hauled, close reach, beam reach, broad reach and running. They apply the same way whether the wind comes over the left (port) side or the right (starboard) side of the boat. Before the five, though, comes the one direction no sailboat can go.
The no-go zone
A sailboat cannot sail straight into the wind. Around the direction the wind is coming from there is a zone where, as Discover Boating puts it, a boat cannot sail effectively. Sources describe its size differently:
- ASA describes a no-sail zone of about 90 degrees in total, centered on the wind. It says the size varies with the boat and the wind speed, and that the remaining 270 degrees or so of headings can be sailed.
- Discover Boating also gives roughly 90 degrees, centered directly into the wind.
- Wikipedia (a secondary source) gives roughly 45 degrees either side of the true wind, and a typical range of 30 to 50 degrees either side depending on the sails and how well the boat resists sideways slip.
The figures are consistent in the middle, since 45 degrees either side adds up to 90 in total, but Wikipedia's range and ASA's note that the zone varies by boat and wind both mean any single number is approximate.
The five points of sail
We found no official source (US Sailing, the RYA or ASA) that gives a degree range for every point of sail. The angles below are the ones ASA and Wikipedia give, and the trim column follows Discover Boating's rule of thumb: sails in tighter on the upwind points and let out farther on the downwind points.
| Point of sail | Where the wind is | Sails |
|---|---|---|
| Close-hauled | Along the edge of the no-go zone. Wikipedia gives about 45 degrees to the wind as typical, the closest a sailboat can point. | Pulled in as close to the centerline as possible (ASA) |
| Close reach | Between close-hauled and a beam reach (ASA) | Pulled in tighter, as an upwind point (Discover Boating) |
| Beam reach | Across the boat at 90 degrees (ASA) | The sources reviewed give no specific setting |
| Broad reach | Farther aft than 90 degrees, coming from behind at an angle (ASA) | Let out farther, as a downwind point (Discover Boating) |
| Running | Directly behind, 180 degrees (Wikipedia) | Let out farther (Discover Boating). Wikipedia notes the sails work mainly by drag here. |
On which point is fastest, sources disagree. Physics Today says boats are fastest around a beam reach. Wikipedia says speed is typically highest on a beam reach but that many high-performance craft are fastest on a broad reach. See how sailing works for why.
Port tack and starboard tack
Discover Boating defines port tack as the wind coming over the port side, with the sails out on the starboard side, and starboard tack as the reverse. This matters beyond vocabulary: the rules of the road use a boat's tack to decide which sailing vessel keeps clear.
Two other direction words come up constantly. Windward is the side the wind comes from, and leeward (pronounced "loo-ard") is the side away from it, which is also the low side when the boat heels.
Getting upwind: beating
If your destination lies inside the no-go zone, you cannot sail straight to it. Discover Boating describes the answer: zig-zag on alternate sides of the zone. Wikipedia calls this beating, meaning alternating close-hauled courses on port and starboard tack to work your way upwind.
Each change from one side to the other is a tack, which Sail Newport defines as changing direction by turning the bow through the wind. Wikipedia warns against pinching, which is sailing too close to the wind and costs speed and efficiency. The upwind page covers the technique.
Stuck in the no-go zone: in irons
If a boat stops while pointing into the wind, it is in irons. US Sailing describes this as being stopped head to wind with the sails luffing and the boat hard to steer. Wikipedia adds that a boat held head to wind loses momentum and steerage, and that failing to get through the no-go zone during a tack is called missing stays.
The USCG Auxiliary notes that catamarans and heavy boats are more prone to getting stuck in irons, and that tacking in light air is harder. US Sailing's fix uses a sail held out to one side (backed) to push the bow off the wind until the sails can fill again. ASA lists getting out of irons among the required skills for ASA 101.
Going downwind
To change from one tack to the other with the wind behind you, the boat gybes (also spelled jibe), turning its stern through the wind rather than its bow. The USCG Auxiliary warns that an accidental gybe can whip the boom across the boat and hit crew, and that wind shifts and careless steering are common causes. Gybing is covered with its safety principles on tacking and gybing.
Running dead downwind is not always the best route downwind. Dave Flynn of Quantum Sails, writing in 2023 about racing a standard monohull, gives a best true wind angle of about 140 degrees in 10 knots of wind or less and 140 to 155 degrees in 10 to 14 knots, going deeper as control allows in stronger wind. That is his coaching advice for racing, not a rule. More is on the downwind page.
The centerboard and the point of sail
On a dinghy with a centerboard, the board's position changes with the point of sail. The USCG Auxiliary says it should be down when sailing upwind, where side pressure is greatest, partly down on a reach, and is not needed dead downwind. More on the boats that use them is on dinghies.
Sources
- Discover Boating, points of sail
- ASA, points of sail
- Point of sail (Wikipedia, secondary)
- Sailing into the wind (Wikipedia, secondary)
- Discover Boating, sailing directional terms
- Sail Newport, sailing terms
- US Sailing, getting in and out of irons
- ASA 101 Basic Keelboat Sailing, what you will learn
- USCG Auxiliary, Chapter 3 Basic Sailboat Maneuvering (PDF)
- Quantum Sails, troubleshooting racing trim downwind (Dave Flynn, 2023)
- Physics Today, The physics of sailing (2008)