Mainsail

A mainsail is the most important sail raised from the main (or only) mast of a sailing vessel.

On a square rigged vessel, it is the lowest and largest sail on the main mast.

On a fore-and-aft rigged vessel, it is the lowest and largest and often the only sail rigged aft of the main mast, and is controlled along its foot by a spar known as the boom. A sail rigged in this position without a boom is generally called a trisail, and is used in extremely heavy weather.

The modern bermuda rig uses a triangular mainsail as the only sail aft of the mast, closely coordinated with a jib for sailing upwind. A large overlapping jib or genoa is often larger than the mainsail. In downwind conditions (with the wind behind the boat) a spinnaker replaces the jib.

Traditional fore-and-aft rigs used a gaff to control the top of the mainsail, sometimes setting a topsail above it.

Sails, Spars and Rigging
Sails
Course \| Driver \| Extra \| Genoa \| Gennaker \| Jib \| Lateen \| Mainsail \| Moonsail \| Spanker \| Spinnaker \| Spritsail \| Staysail \| Studding \| Tallboy \| Topgallant \| Topsail \| Trysail
Sail anatomy and materials
Clew \| Dacron \| Foot \| Head \| Kevlar \| Leech \| Luff \| Roach \| Tack
Spars
Boom \| Bowsprit \| Fore-mast \| Gaff \| Jigger-mast \| Jury Rig \| Main-mast \| Mast \| Mizzen-mast \| Masthead Truck \| Spinnaker Pole \| Yard
Rigging components
Backstay \| Block \| Boom vang \| Braces \| Buntlines \| Cleat \| Clevis Pin \| Clewlines \| Cunningham \| Downhaul \| Forestay \| Gasket \| Gooseneck \| Guy \| Halyard \| Outhaul \| Parrell beads \| Peak \| Preventer \| Ratlines \| Rigging (Running) \| Shackle \| Rigging (Standing) \| Sheet \| Shroud \| Stay mouse \| Stays \| Throat \| Topping lift \| Trapeze

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