Sheet (sailing)

[1][2] In nautical usage the term "sheet" is applied to a line or chain attached to the lower corners of a sail for the purpose of extension or change of direction.

The connection in derivation with the root "shoot" is more clearly seen in "sheet-anchor", one that is kept in reserve, to be "shot" in case of emergency.

[1][3] Fore-and-aft rigs comprise the vast majority of sailing vessels in use today, including effectively all dinghies and yachts.

However, many blocks and their multiply reeved lines, particularly on headsails, have been replaced by single-line sheets trimmed by powerful winches.

Unlike fore-and-aft sheets, though, square-rig sheets do not control the angle of the sails (which is performed using braces); instead, they are used to haul the corners of the sails from their stowed positions down towards the tip of the yard below.