Afterguard (cellule arrière) : A group of crew members who determine the course of action aboard a racing yacht.

Apparent wind (Vent apparent) : The perceived wind direction of a moving yacht [when the yacht goes faster, the perceived wind direction moves forward, just as the wind always seems to hit a car only from head-on as it drives at high speeds].

Backstay (bastaque) : A mast support that runs from the top of the mast to the stern of the yacht [it may be adjustable in order to bend the mast backward or to increase tension on the forestay].

Batten (latte) : In America's Cup yachts, thin strips of composite material inserted into pockets in the sails to maintain proper sail shape and to support the curved leech, or rear edge, of the sails, particularly the mainsail.

Bear away set (---): to hoist and set a spinnaker without gybing.

Beat, to (louvoyer) : Beat heading in a direction into the wind Beating [since sailboats cannot sail directly into the wind, beating is the closet course to the wind they can sail].

Berth (---): The place where you but the boat on a dock.

Blanket, to (Déventer) : the maneuver by which the boat in safe leeward position, ahead and to leeward, works up into a position to give the windward boat bad air, taking advantage of the lifted flow in the safe leeward position.

Boom (Bôme) : A spar to which the bottom of the mainsail is attached.

Bow (proue-étrave) : the front of the boat.

Bowman (équipier d'avant): The crewmember in charge of sail changes and keeping a lookout on the bow at the start.

Bulb (bulbe) : The torpedo-shaped lead weight on the bottom of the keel or bottom of the hull, that provides the primary the ballast for America's Cup yachts.

Buoy (bouée) : a floating device used to mark a turning point on a race course

Clear Astern and Clear Ahead (en route libre devant et derrière): One boat is clear astern of another when her hull and equipment in normal position are behind a line abeam from the aft most point of the other boat's hull and equipment in normal position. The other boat is clear ahead.

Clew (point d'amûre) : The lower corner of a mainsail, jib or genoa and either lower corner of a spinnaker attached to the sheet.

Close-hauled (près serré) : Sailing as directly into the wind as possible.

Cockpit (---) : the area in the deck in which the crew works.

Code 0 (---): A tight luff, upwind spinnaker

Cover, to (Couvrir) : The tactical maneuver by one yacht of staying between a competitor and the wind or the next mark.

Deck (pont) : Horizontal surface of a yacht. Deed of Gift: The 1887 document on which all America's Cup competitions are based.

DNC, "did not compete" (---) : The ruling when a boat fails to compete in a scheduled race and is penalized the maximum number of points for the race.

DND, "disqualification not discardable" (---) : The ruling when the jury disqualifies a boat from a race and assesses the maximum number of points for the race, points which may not be discarded from the overall score later.

DNF, "did not finish" (---) : The ruling when a boat fails to finish a race and is assessed the maximum number of points for the race.

DNS, "did not start" (---) : The ruling when a competing boat fails to start a race and is assessed the maximum number of points for that race.

Downwind (Portant - vent arrière) : The point of sail when the wind blows from aft of the yacht's beam (syn. wind aft)

DSQ, "disqualified" : The ruling when the jury disqualifies a boat from a race and assesses the maximum number of points for the race.

Fall off, to (abattre) : A maneuver in which a yacht turns away from the wind (contr. To luff).

Foot : the bottom edge of a sail.

Foredeck (plage avant) : the deck area in front of the mast (also a crew position aboard a racing yacht).