Burgee

A burgee is a distinguishing flag, regardless of its shape, of a recreational boating organization.

Sailing vessels may fly the burgee either from the main masthead or from a halyard under the lowermost starboard spreader.

[2] Most powerboats (i.e. those lacking any mast or having a single mast) fly the burgee off a short staff at the bow; two-masted power vessels fly the burgee at the foremast.

The officers of a yacht club may fly various burgees appropriate to their rank: for example, the commodore may fly a swallow-tailed version of the club burgee (and the vice- and rear-commodores the same, but distinguished by the addition of one or two balls respectively at the canton).

[3] Personal burgees, also known as private signals, have also been designed and flown for over one hundred years.