Bowman
The man in front of a sailboat is referred to as the bow (from the sheet of the foresail; among regatta sailors also: Scots ) . He or she is also jokingly called the "jib monkey" because he usually has to move quickly in the boat in order to keep his balance or to operate the sails.
In contrast to the man behind ( helmsman or mainsheet) who controls the boat, the bowman has to set, recover and operate the headsail and the spinnaker .
In sporty sailing, the crew can trim weight to ensure that the boat sails “more upright” and therefore faster. The trapeze that runs along the shrouds is also used by the bow for " riding out ". Due to the tilting moment exerted by the body weight, it supports the balance of the boat and enables the use of higher wind forces in the sail. In addition, the crew supports the helmsman with his better seating position in the boat in some situations when monitoring the rules of evasion and with the overall tactics during a sailing regatta .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Sailing dictionary. Retrieved January 7, 2015 .