Newbie question - sail terminology

[blueranger]

Hi all,

Have a question about sail terminology and none of the definitions I've come across seem real clear to me. What exactly is the difference between a jib and a genoa?

Thanks,
Mike

[ollie820]

Good question. A jib covers 100% of the foretriangle. The area from the mast to the forestay. A genoa is larger then the foretriange and is typically measured as a 110%, 120%, 130% genoa, etc which indicates the amount that is larger then the foretriangle area. You can tell a genoa when the clew(attachment point of sheets) come past the mast, towards the cockpit, when sheeted in. To make matters more complicated some people, myself included, use jib as a generic term to mean the headsail whether it is a true jib or the genoa.

[PBzeer]

The area between the mast and forestay is called the foretriangle, a jib is 100% percent, or less of that area, a genoa, over 100%. Or so I understand it.

[sailingdog]

Size. All genoas are jibs... but not all jibs are genoas... a genoa is basically a jib that is larger than 100% of the foretriangle.

[sailaway21]

A jib is a sail. A genoa is a salami.

[sailingdog]

I thought Genoas were Italian sailors..