yard
A long tapered timber hung on a mast to which is bent a sail, and may be further qualified as a square, lateen, or lug yard. The first is hung at right angles to the mast, the last two hang obliquely.
yard: the spar that holds the top of a sail
A yard is a long, tapered wooden or metal spar rigged horizontally (or nearly so) across a mast to suspend and shape a sail. The sail is bent to the yard, meaning its head (upper edge) is lashed or fastened along the spar's full length. The yard carries the weight and wind load of the sail, and it must be strong enough to resist bending under pressure while remaining light enough to handle when raising or lowering it.
The orientation of the yard defines the sail type. A square yard hangs perpendicular to the mast and carries a square sail used for running downwind. A lateen yard is angled roughly 45 degrees to the mast and pivots around it, allowing the sail to swing across the vessel's centerline for closer-hauled sailing. A lug yard sits at an even steeper angle and functions similarly to a lateen but with different geometry and balance.
Yards taper from a thicker center (the slings, where they are supported by lines called braces running to the deck) toward thinner tapered ends called the arms. The yard is suspended from the mast by a saddle or parrel, a sliding collar that allows the yard to be raised or lowered along the mast while remaining roughly in position. When multiple yards are rigged on one mast, they are spaced vertically; a large ship may carry a lower yard, topsail yard, topgallant yard, and royal yard, each progressively smaller as height increases.
Handling and failure modes
Yards must be braced, or angled, to catch the wind efficiently and trimmed by adjusting the sheets (lines attached to the lower corners of the sail). If a yard fractures under load, the sail becomes uncontrollable and may tear or drag the yard and rigging overboard. Metal yards, now common on larger vessels, are less prone to rot and splinting than wood but are heavier and more difficult to repair at sea. The name derives from Old English geard, meaning rod or stick, and persists despite the modern use of wire or rope for some sail-rigging functions.
In modern sailing, the term yard remains standard on tall ships, training vessels, and traditional working craft. Industrial shipyards use the word differently to mean the facility itself, but in rigging terminology it always refers to the spar. Understanding yard configurations is essential for reading sail plans, estimating wind pressure capacity, and assessing the stability of a rigged vessel.