Glossary · Sails
Headsail
Also called: Voile d'avant, foc, jib, J1, J2, J3, génois, genoa
A sail set in front of the mast; upwind it is a jib (J1, J2, J3 from largest to smallest).
Headsails change with wind and point of sail. Upwind, racing boats number their jibs J1, J2, J3… from the largest, for light air, to the smallest, for strong wind. Downwind they switch to bigger, fuller sails: code zero, gennaker.
To make changes easier single-handed, most are set on furlers.