ASA 101 Chapter 1 Exam Questions with
Complete Solutions
Airfoil - Answer-Object designed to take advantage of the energy of the wind by
deflecting and bending the wind without greatly disturbing its flow
Lift - Answer-A desired force
Drag - Answer-A hindering force
Close-hauled - Answer-Sails are hauled as close to the boat's centerline as they will go.
Reaching - Answer-Wind is coming across the boat
Beam reaching - Answer-Boat is sailing at 90 degrees to the wind
Close reaching - Answer-Course gets closer to close-hauled
Broad reaching - Answer-Boat's heading is farther down the face of the 'clock'
Running/downwind - Answer-Boat is sailing directly away from the wind, toward 6
o'clock
Trimmed - Answer-The way the sails are set
Boom - Answer-Spar attached to the bottom of the sail
Apparent wind - Answer-Combination of the true wind and the wind that you create by
virtue of your own motion through the air. This hits the sails, and governs how a boat
sails
True wind - Answer-Wind you feel while standing still
Hull - Answer-Watertight floating body of the boat that gives it form and houses or
supports every other part of the boat.
Dinghy - Answer-Small sailboat, usually under 20 ft long and open for most of its length
Keelboat - Answer-Usually larger, starting at about 20 ft and with no apparent upper
length limit
Keel - Answer-A fixed appendage on the bottom of the hull that provides the sideways
resistance needed to counter the force of the wind on the sails
, Ballast - Answer-Usually iron or lead, the weight of which counteracts the force of the
wind that causes a sailboat to heel
Heel - Answer-Lean over
Centerboard - Answer-Lowered or raised to resist sideways movement. Pivots up and
down within its trunk
Daggerboard - Answer-Lowered or raised to resist sideways movement. Slides up and
down vertically.
Capsize - Answer-Tipping over
Multihulls - Answer-Boats with more than one hull
Catamaran - Answer-Two hulls
Trimaran - Answer-Three hulls
Rudder - Answer-Fin-shaped, steers a sailboat, attached beneath the boat toward the
stern, can be rotated to change the angle at which the water strikes it.
Tiller - Answer-On dinghies and small keelboats, a long lever attached to the top of the
rudder to operate it. Can be operated by a steering wheel.
Helm - Answer-Wheel/tiller
Helmsman - Answer-Person steering the boat
Sailboard - Answer-Has no rudder, sailors steer by trimming the sail and shifting his
body weight
Lifelines - Answer-Usually made of wire cable, they run around the perimeter of the
deck and about two ft above it, supported by stanchions. At the bow and stern, the
lifelines are attached to pulpits
Stanchion - Answer-A metal post that supports lifelines
Pulpits - Answer-A guardrail at the bow or stern of a boat to which (usually) the lifelines
are connected
LOA - Answer-Length overall, how sailboats are commonly compared
LWL - Answer-Length on waterline, used to estimate maximum sailing speed—longer is
faster.
Complete Solutions
Airfoil - Answer-Object designed to take advantage of the energy of the wind by
deflecting and bending the wind without greatly disturbing its flow
Lift - Answer-A desired force
Drag - Answer-A hindering force
Close-hauled - Answer-Sails are hauled as close to the boat's centerline as they will go.
Reaching - Answer-Wind is coming across the boat
Beam reaching - Answer-Boat is sailing at 90 degrees to the wind
Close reaching - Answer-Course gets closer to close-hauled
Broad reaching - Answer-Boat's heading is farther down the face of the 'clock'
Running/downwind - Answer-Boat is sailing directly away from the wind, toward 6
o'clock
Trimmed - Answer-The way the sails are set
Boom - Answer-Spar attached to the bottom of the sail
Apparent wind - Answer-Combination of the true wind and the wind that you create by
virtue of your own motion through the air. This hits the sails, and governs how a boat
sails
True wind - Answer-Wind you feel while standing still
Hull - Answer-Watertight floating body of the boat that gives it form and houses or
supports every other part of the boat.
Dinghy - Answer-Small sailboat, usually under 20 ft long and open for most of its length
Keelboat - Answer-Usually larger, starting at about 20 ft and with no apparent upper
length limit
Keel - Answer-A fixed appendage on the bottom of the hull that provides the sideways
resistance needed to counter the force of the wind on the sails
, Ballast - Answer-Usually iron or lead, the weight of which counteracts the force of the
wind that causes a sailboat to heel
Heel - Answer-Lean over
Centerboard - Answer-Lowered or raised to resist sideways movement. Pivots up and
down within its trunk
Daggerboard - Answer-Lowered or raised to resist sideways movement. Slides up and
down vertically.
Capsize - Answer-Tipping over
Multihulls - Answer-Boats with more than one hull
Catamaran - Answer-Two hulls
Trimaran - Answer-Three hulls
Rudder - Answer-Fin-shaped, steers a sailboat, attached beneath the boat toward the
stern, can be rotated to change the angle at which the water strikes it.
Tiller - Answer-On dinghies and small keelboats, a long lever attached to the top of the
rudder to operate it. Can be operated by a steering wheel.
Helm - Answer-Wheel/tiller
Helmsman - Answer-Person steering the boat
Sailboard - Answer-Has no rudder, sailors steer by trimming the sail and shifting his
body weight
Lifelines - Answer-Usually made of wire cable, they run around the perimeter of the
deck and about two ft above it, supported by stanchions. At the bow and stern, the
lifelines are attached to pulpits
Stanchion - Answer-A metal post that supports lifelines
Pulpits - Answer-A guardrail at the bow or stern of a boat to which (usually) the lifelines
are connected
LOA - Answer-Length overall, how sailboats are commonly compared
LWL - Answer-Length on waterline, used to estimate maximum sailing speed—longer is
faster.
