MAX EBB — We bring you part 2 of the Etymological Dictionary of Modern Nautical Jargon. This is a new edition of Lee Helm's Modern Sailing Lexicon that was first published in 2010. icebreaker bow n. bow with sufficient rake to absorb a hard docking with no damage. icebreaker docking n. docking maneuver that causes bow to ride up on dock, due to bow rake, with no damage to boat. in-line sail change n. a sail change made without significant course alteration. Most applicable to large, fast multihulls which typically bear away to unload sails during a change. Italian douse n. spinnaker douse with sheets and halyard left attached for next hoist. jewelry box n. container for blocks, shackles, cars, winch handles and other small, expensive gear. jump, jump the halyard v. to raise a sail quickly by rapidly and repeatedly hanging from the halyard and pulling down at the point where it exits the mast. kitemare, n. narrative of a kiteboard accident. Kiwi douse n. spinnaker douse similar to Mexican Takedown, but with a symmetrical spinnaker (first used in 1987 America's Cup by New Zealand). knock n. 1) header 2) sudden strong gust of wind. lead mine n. heavily ballasted yacht, often applied to early IOR designs (used by multihull sailors to refer to all ballasted yachts). leech-flake v. flaking a sail so that the leech is stacked on top of itself. lefty n. wind shift to the left. letterbox douse n. spinnaker douse in which the spinnaker is pulled between loose-footed mainsail and boom. leverage n. separation distance at right angles to the wind or course, producing a strategic advantage in the event of favorable wind shift or current gradient. low pole take-off v. process of removing spinnaker pole on a squared-back asymmetrical by rolling to windward (reportedly coined by Stan Honey, as used by Kame Richards at Pac Cup seminar on Oct. 8, 2011). luff-flake v. flaking a sail so that the luff is stacked on top of itself. luggage-tagged v. tied with a cowhitch (scuttlebutt 3241, on fiber lifeline attachment).
PHOTOS LATITUDE / TIM UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED mad scientists' convention n. postrace discussion among technicallyinclined skippers and crew. made adj. condition in which the spinnaker pole is re-connected to both the mast and the after guy at the conclusion of a jibe. Usually hailed by the foredeck crew indicating condition has been reached. making trees v. moving sufficiently faster than another boat so that the background scenery appears to be moving forward behind them. malarea n. (from "more area") design strategy for boats not racing under a measurement rule (first applied to America's Cup boats in 1988). mark trap n. (team racing) delaying competitor at mark by entering twolength circle first and stalling while teammate gains place. mastectomy n. 1 the act of lowering mast for maintenance or repair; 2 dismasting. meat hook n. broken strand of wire projecting a short distance from the surface of a wire rope. millionaire's tape n. very expensive extruded Teflon tape with superior antichafe characteristics. mo-mo n. motor, especially a small outboard auxiliary. mowing the lawn v. windsurfing on alternating reaches without attempting any particularly challenging maneuvers or making any net progress toward a destination (Bill Prinzmetal at Cal Sailing Club, May 2008).
kitemare n. narrative of a kiteboard accident.
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noodle n. exceptionally thin and flexible mast. office n. chart table or nav station offside adj. port-tack controls during pre-start, "offside trim." on the handles adj. grinding winches ooker n. Cunningham overhaul v. take up slack parade n. reaching leg with little
opportunity to pass or to be passed by another competitor. parking lot n. local region of negligible wind, usually containing at least several racing yachts. Races with several parking lots might have these areas designated "lot A," "lot B," etc. by racers. parking ticket n. 1) time lost in a parking lot. 2) bad call that results in time lost in a parking lot. passing lanes n. opportunities to pass, usually created by wind shifts. permanent n. permanent but adjustable backstay, to distinguish it from running backstays. pickle dish n. trophy pinball v. to tack two or more times at short intervals between obstructions or right-of-way boats. Pinocchio boat n. sport boat with retractable bowsprit. ping pong v. taking frequent tacks to get clear air after a second-row start in a large fleet (Chris Perkins, Scuttlebutt 3702, referring to J-105 North Americans). pointy end n. the bow poker n. retractable bowsprit pop-jibe n. method of jibing an asymmetrical spinnaker in which the sail pops open suddenly on the new jibe.
