Setting Sail Quiz Answers
How did you do in our quiz? Check the answers below.
1. Sailing is an Olympic sport. When was the first time it was included on the Olympic program?
Answer: 1896
Sailing was introduced into the Olympics at the Games held in Athens, Greece in 1896. Although sailing was on the program for that year it could not take place because of weather concerns. Sailing was not included in the 1900 Olympics, but returned to the regular program in 1904.
2. On a sailboat, what is a sheet?
Answer: lines used for controlling and adjusting sails
On most sailboats there are three sheets-the port jib sheet, the starboard jib sheet and the mainsheet. The jib sheets are the lines (ropes) that control the jib sail and the main sheet controls the mainsail. The saying “being three sheets to the wind” referring to someone who is extremely drunk or out of control comes from this sailing term. On a sailboat if all three of your sheets are out flapping in the wind you have no control
over your sails and thus your sailboat.
3. On 15 May 2010, who became the youngest person to complete a solo and unassisted around the world sailing trip?
Answer: Jessica Watson
Jessica was born on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, so the sea was in her veins from an early age.
4. What is the name of the line which is used to raise or lower the sails?
Answer: Halyard
A sheet controls the sails angle to the wind. A painter is also known as the bow line. A teather is used to tie objects to the boat.
Your options: [ Teather ] [ Sheet ] [ Halyard ] [ Painter ]
5. One of the World’s most famous and hotly contested yacht races is the America’s Cup. Which Nation won the race in 2003?
Answer: Switzerland
The America’s Cup is world famous, and fortunes are spent on producing the best yachts and crews. Traditionally, the winning Nation hosts the next challenge, which will be in 2007. Switzerland is landlocked, in fact the first landlocked Country to win the cup, so Spain will host the 2007 race from the city of Valencia.
6. Under the Beaufort scale of windforce, a “gale” is what strength?
Answer: Force 8
The “Beaufort Scale” for measurement of wind strength and speed was devised by Rear Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort in 1805, when he held the rank of Commander. Admiral Beaufort was born in Ireland in 1774 and had a distinguished Naval career. Force 7 is classed as “Near Gale”. Force 10 is
“Storm”. Force 12 is “Hurricane”, and you really wouldn’t like to be out in this sort of weather.
7. Complete these famous Nautical saying
Freeze the ————– off a brass monkey (balls)
As the——– flies (crow)
Letting the ——– out of the bag (cat)
8. The Japanese yachtsman Kenichi Horie was the first person to use solar
power to cross what body of water in 1996?
Kenichi Horie (Japan) made the fastest crossing of the Pacific Ocean in a solar-powered boat when he travelled 10,000 miles 16,092 km from Salinas, Ecuador, to Tokyo, Japan, in 148 days between March 20 and August 5 1996. His cigar shaped vessel, Malt’s Mermaid, was 9.5 yards 8.68 m long, weighed 813 lb 368.7 kg and was powered by 130 ft² of solar panels. The boat was partly constructed from recycled aluminium equivalent to more than 20,000 drink cans
9. Technically, scuba originated as an acronym. What was the phrase this word stood for?
Although it’s become the word we use to describe diving itself, the full meaning of ‘scuba’ is Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus – a term coined back in 1952 by U.S. Major Christian J. Lambertsen. As an acronym, it describes pretty well what it is
10. What term is used for the pointed part of an anchor that is designed to catch in the seabed?
A Fluke – The purpose of the flukes is to allow the anchor to dig into the bottom. Therefore, the flukes give the anchor extra holding power instead of merely dropping a hefty weight that can easily slide along low-friction surfaces and defeat the purpose.
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