vang
/vaŋ
/noun Sailing
1Each of two guy ropes running from the end of a gaff to the deck.Especially in heavy winds, ease the vang an inch or two for the reach....
- If the vang is on tight and the wind drops be sure to ease it to maintain good mainsail trim.
1.1 (also boom vang) A fitting used to pull a boat’s boom down and help control the shape of the sail.In heavy air, you need to pull in the boom vang a little more, and in super heavy air, really crank it....
- There is a tendency for the boom vang to be pulled on too hard when sailing downwind.
- Ease the traveler all the way and adjust the boom vang to control leech tension.
Origin
Mid 18th century: variant of obsolete fang, denoting a gripping device, from Old Norse fang 'grasp', of Germanic origin.