In the beginning yachts were light, fast sailing vessels used by the Dutch Navy to hunt pirates and other miscreants who found themselves in the Low Countries. When Charles II of England chose a yacht to return to Britain from Holland in for his restoration, the stigma that yachts were used by important people came into being. Yacht parts have names with their own sailing vernacular, such as jib, bowsprit, and tack.
Sailing yachts can be 20 feet to well over 98 feet. Most yachts that are privately owned are about 23 feet. The cost to buy and maintain a yacht is greater the longer their length is. There are day sailing yachts, weekender yachts, cruising yachts, luxury sailing yachts and racing yachts.
Day sailing yachts are usually less than 20 feet in length. They are sometimes called dinghies and very often have a retractable keel, daggerboard or centerboard. These smaller dinghies usually do not have a cabin and are made to sail hourly or for the day and not for overnight trips.
Weekender yachts are from 20 feet to 31 feet in length. They most likely will have lifting keels or twin keels. They are made to be sailed in shallow waters and can ‘dry out’ on the beach when the tide falls. The hull design makes it possible for the boat to remain upright when there is no water around it. These yachts are designed for short journeys of not more than two or three days. Longer trips can be made by dividing the long trip into shorter trips. They may sleep up to four people. There is usually a galley or kitchen, seating and navigation equipment. Most of the weekender yachts are single-masted with a single foresail of the jib or genoa type and a single mainsail.
Cruising yachts are the most common of the privately own yachts. They range from 23 feet to 46 feet in length. The designs of these yachts are as diversified as are the builders worldwide. Most are single-masted Bermuda rigged sloops with a single foresail of the jib and a single mainsail. Spinnaker sails are on board for down-wind use. Most often these are family owned with several cabins below deck with a single large saloon with galley, seating and navigation equipment. They also usually have a ‘head’ or bathroom with a toilet and shower. Cruisers can take long range trips of many thousands of miles.
Luxury sailing yachts are 82 feet or longer and very sophisticated. The biggest luxury yachts measure 130 feet and more. They have all the luxuries sailing can accommodate. They are amazingly automated with power generation systems and GPS. They have pressurized water systems and refrigerators.
Racing yachts are built for surfing and planning. In extreme conditions they can get up to 35 knots. There is usually more sail than yacht. Yacht parts such as the jib, a triangular staysail and bowsprit, the bow and tack, the lower corner of the sail’s leading edge are words you need to know to sail one of these beautiful, magnificent vessels.