Glossary · Hull & structure
Bow
Also called: Étrave, proue, avant
The front of the hull, which cuts a way through the water and the waves.
The bow is the front part of the hull. Its shape sets how the boat meets the sea: a fine bow cuts through the waves, a wide, rounded one rides over them.
Offshore racing has produced several shapes: conventional bows, inverted bows (sloping back from the waterline), wave-piercing bows on multihulls, and scow bows, wide like a spoon, which came from the Mini 6.50 before being adopted by the Class40.
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