Topsail

A topsail is a sail set above another sail; on square-rigged vessels further sails may be set above topsails.

Square rig

On a square rigged vessel, a topsail is a square sail rigged above the course sail and below the topgallant sail where carried. A full rigged ship has either single or double ("split" upper and lower) topsails on all masts, the single or lower topsail being the second sail above the deck and the upper topsail where so rigged being the third.

Although described as a "square" sail, this term refers not to a sail's shape but to it and its yard being rigged square to the keel of the vessel rather than in line with it or "fore and aft"; the topsail was and is always trapezoidal, the lengths of the upper yards being progressively smaller the higher they are. The bottom edge (foot) of the topsail, like that of other square sails, is slightly concave.

Although topsails of a kind were used at least as early as Roman times, they first came into use in Europe some time in the 15th century. Initially small and carried only on main and fore masts, they gradually increased in size and importance until by the middle of the 17th century and were the principal and largest sails of the ship, the first sails to be set and the last to be taken in. It was quite common for a ship to sail with topsails and jibs alone; the position of the topsails well above the sea ensured that they received a steady breeze even if the seas were rough.

Topsail (disambiguation)

A topsail is the second square sail up a mast in a sailboat. Topsail may also refer to:

In geography

Canada

United States

In other uses

Topsail (electoral district)

Topsail is a provincial electoral district for the House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. As of 2011, there are 11,080 eligible voters living in the district.

Topsail lies on eastern shore of Conception Bay and includes parts of the city of Mount Pearl and the towns of Conception Bay South and Paradise. The residential mix is suburban and sometimes rural, although many residents commute to St. John's.

Topsail was created in a 1995 redistribution, incorporating much of Conception Bay South.

The 2007 redistribution changed the district significantly. Fifty-four per cent of it was retained, 32 per cent moved to Conception Bay South, 10 per cent moved to Mount Pearl North and four per cent shifted to Conception Bay East-Bell Island. The district also gained 16 per cent of both Waterford Valley and Conception Bay East-Bell Island. (CBC Electoral District Profile)

The district was represented by Liberal Ralph Wiseman, from 1999 till 2003. Wiseman was defeated by Progressive Conservative candidate Elizabeth Marshall in the 2003 general election, Marshall was re-elected in 2007 garnering 83% of the vote. In January 2010 Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed Marshall to the Canadian Senate.