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Glite Dictionary
spinnaker

spinnaker

3 9.1
A large light sail set in front of the main sail to catch wind when sailing downwind
  • noun
  • /ˈspɪnəˌkər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : spinnaker
  • As we raced, the brightly colored spinnaker billowed out in front of the mainsail.
  • spinnaker and jib
  • spinnaker on your sailboat
  • sail under spinnaker

Examples

  • You ripped the spinnaker on your sailboat, right?

    Shallow Hal (2001)

  • We gotta drop the spinnaker.

    Chappaquiddick (2018)

  • All right, let out the spinnaker!

    Wind (1992)

  • Leaving this one free to hoist a spinnaker in a favourable wind.

    The Mercy (2018)

  • Geronimo has just hoisted a monstrous spinnaker.

    Wind (1992)

  • After 3 days of racing, the underdog Titan won the Spinnaker One Class, while the Most Worthy Performance Trophy was awarded to the Lazy Dog.

    Academic text (2006)

  • The sailboats compete in five distinct categories: Spinnaker, Non-Spinnaker, Bareboat, Multihulls, Beach Cats, and Open classes.

    Academic text (2006)

  • On a windy day, we set the spinnaker to catch the breeze as we sailed down the coast.

  • The crew skillfully hoisted the spinnaker to gain speed while sailing with the wind.

Synonyms

balloon sail
vsspinnaker
  • Specialized
7.4

A large light sail set to catch the wind and make a boat go faster

is usually triangular and set forward of the mainsail rather than loose and billowing

How Big

spinnaker
  • Specialized
3 9.1
sail
103 1.0
sheet
  • Archaic
26 5.6
scarf
134 1.0
handkerchief
90 2.2

Surface Forms

spinnaker singular
spinnakers plural

Etymology

Spinnaker was invented by sailors in the 1800s for the large, light sail set in front of the mainsail and used when the wind comes from behind the boat. A helpful way to remember it is to think of spin because the sail fills and billows out like it 'spins' in the wind and pushes the boat forward. That's why a spinnaker is the big downwind sail.