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tack 1. To alter the course of a vessel in such a way that the bow crosses the wind. The usual implication in the maneuver is that the vessel will assume the same apparent wind angle on the other side. When the stern crosses the wind, it is called a jibe. The terms are used most often by sailors, but in strong winds and seas, the maneuvers and terminology are just as valuable to power driven vessels. Tack and jibe are illustrated in G262. 2. A windward point of sail being the side the wind is on, as in starboard tack or port tack. According to the Navigation Rules, the tack of a vessel is determined by the side opposite the one the mainsail is carried on. Points of sail are illustrated in G186.

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