Glossary · Racing
Waypoint
Also called: Point de passage, WP, marque, mark, bouée
A point the course requires boats to round or pass: a buoy, an island, a cape or coordinates.
An offshore course consists of a start, marks and a finish. A mark can be a buoy, an island or a cape to leave on a given side, or a simple virtual geographic point. The sailing instructions say which side to leave it on.