Sailing Yachts (S/Y), A Sailing yacht is a leisure boat that uses the energy of wind for sailing. Sailing yachts are built in a hydro and aerodynamic way, that enable the yacht to maximize the use of the wind vectors, when two main expressions for that are:
1. Sails. Usually two principal sails (head sail in the front and Main sail at the mid ship) that rotate the vector of the wind and enable the yacht to sail almost upwind (usually +/-15-30 degrees of the wind direction). There are also different sails such as spinnaker and aft sails. that uses and a keel below the waterline to balance the vector. It used for sport and recreation, powered by sail or motor. She has more than one mainsail to keep her sailing. The crew of a yacht is more than 2 people. She has compartments, such as a bedroom, a toilet and a kitchen. A yacht can be sailed at open sea or the ocean.
Yachts are different from working ships mainly by their leisure purpose. We classify sailing yachts by the structure of the sails:
Cat. The simplest rig of all, the cat has a single mast with one sail.
Sloop. Single masted boat with a single headsail and a mainsail.
Cutter. Sloop with an extra headsail hoisted on an inner forestay
Yawl. Two masted vessel with the mainmast forward and a mizzenmast stepped behind the rudderpost.
Ketch. Two masted vessel with the mainmast forward and a mizzenmast stepped forward the rudderpost
Schooner. Purely fore-and-aft rigs with triangular sail.
A second way to define the sailing yachts, is by length.
• Sailing boat, usually smaller than 35 feet, with small or without an interior area
• Sailing yachts, usually referred as, sail yachts in the size between 35-100ft
• Mega Sailing Yacht generally refers to any yacht (powered mainly by wind) with total lengh (LOA- Length Over All) of 100 ft (30 m)
• Super sailing yacht generally refers to any yacht over 200 ft (70 m).