Types of Yacht

According to dictionary.com a yacht is:

Any of various relatively small sailing or motor-driven vessels, generally with smart graceful lines, used for pleasure cruises or racing.

Here thought we will look at the differnt types of sailing boats. There are a variety of distinct types, and each has their own characteristics. Some are very common, other rarely seen, but all have their enthusiasts.

Sloop
A single-masted, fore-and-aft-rigged sailing boat with a short standing bowsprit or none at all and a single headsail set from the forestay. (dictionary.com)

The most common type of yacht these days it has the basic design for most modern boats. A sloop will also usually carry a spinnaker for going downwind.

Ketch
A two-masted fore-and-aft-rigged sailing vessel with a mizzenmast stepped aft of a taller mainmast but forward of the rudder. (dictionary.com)

If it has two masts it is a ketch or a yawl. With a ketch the mast is in front of the rudder. Usually very elegant boats they can be a bit of a handfull to sail.

Yawl
A two-masted fore-and-aft-rigged sailing vessel similar to the ketch but having a smaller jigger- or mizzenmast stepped abaft the rudder. Also called dandy. (dictionary.com)

The yawl is a fairly distinctive boat, usually having a small mast perched on the stern. Often these are seen out in gale force winds with only the storm jib and the mizzenmast rigged.

Schooner
A fore-and-aft rigged sailing vessel having at least two masts, with a foremast that is usually smaller than the other masts. (dictionary.com)

The ketch and yawl both have two masts, but the smaller mast is usually at the stern. With the schooner the smally mast is usually for'ard. Usually schooners are Tall Ships, or luxury yachts.