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Glite Dictionary
⛵ To turn into wind ⛵ Sailing close to wind 🪁 Front sail edge
luff

luff

9.9
Sailing a boat very close to the wind without losing speed
  • noun
  • /lʌf/
  • Specialized
translation icon : luff
  • During the race, the sailor expertly managed the luff to gain an advantage.

Examples

  • To navigate the tricky waters, they needed to master the luff of their sailboat.

  • The crew adjusted the sails to maximize the luff while maintaining speed.

  • Robin pulls the boom, and the sail luffs.

    Fiction book (1997)

Synonyms

close to the wind
vsluff
  • Specialized
1 9.9

Sailing with the boat pointed almost into the wind to go as directly toward it as possible

is the maneuver of moving as near the wind while keeping forward motion
close-hauled
vsluff
  • Specialized
1 9.2

Sailing as close to the wind as possible with sails pulled in tight

is the maneuver focusing on the boat's movement rather than sail settings

Surface Forms

luff singular
luffs plural

Etymology

The word luff comes from the Dutch word loef, which means 'toward the wind' or 'windward'. So a luff is the move of sailing closer to the wind without losing the boat's forward speed.