US Yachts US 22 sailboat Vesper outhaul 1133

An outhaul is a control line found on a

sailboat A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture. Types Although sailboat terminology ...

. It is an element of the

running rigging Running rigging is the rigging of a sailing vessel that is used for raising, lowering, shaping and controlling the sails on a sailing vessel—as opposed to the standing rigging, which supports the mast and bowsprit. Running rigging varies bet ...

, used to attach the mainsail clew to the

boom Boom may refer to: Objects * Boom (containment), a temporary floating barrier used to contain an oil spill * Boom (navigational barrier), an obstacle used to control or block marine navigation * Boom (sailing), a sailboat part * Boom (windsurfin ...

and tensions the

foot The foot ( : feet) is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg mad ...

of the sail. It commonly uses a block at the boom end and a cleat on the boom, closer to the mast, to secure the line. The outhaul is loosened to provide a fuller camber or tightened to give the sail foot a flatter camber. Depending on the wind, this will increase or decrease boat speed. Sailboat designer and sailing theorist,

Frank Bethwaite Francis Dewar Bethwaite (26 May 1920 – 12 May 2012) was a New Zealand naval architect, author and Olympic meteorologist.

, recommended that the outhaul, along with the other sail controls on a racing sailboat, should be knotted and the boom marked with the settings for different wind speeds.

References

{{Sail Types Sailing rigs and rigging