2 min read · Updated 29 June 2026
Hiking and trapezing are how dinghy and skiff sailors turn their body weight into boat speed. A small boat has no heavy keel to resist the wind's heeling force, so the crew's weight is what keeps it flat — and a flat boat is a fast boat. Hiking and trapezing are two ways to project that weight outboard to create righting moment.
Why keep the boat flat?
The wind in the sails constantly tries to tip the boat over. On a keelboat, a heavy keel resists that; on a dinghy or skiff, there's no such ballast, so the crew must provide the counterbalance. Keeping the boat upright matters because a heeled boat is slower and less efficient — the sails work best and the hull runs cleanest when the boat is on its feet. The harder the wind, the more the crew must lean out to hold it level.
Hiking
Hiking (or leaning out) is the basic technique: crew hook their feet under toe straps (hiking straps) and lean their bodies out over the windward side, extending their weight outboard. It's fundamental to sailing dinghies and small keelboats fast — simple, and the main way small boats stay upright when powered up. Sailors build real fitness for the sustained effort of hiking hard in a breeze.
Trapezing
Trapezing takes it much further. A wire from high on the mast clips to a harness worn by the crew, letting them stand right out over the side, body almost horizontal above the water. Because the weight is projected far further outboard, it gives far more righting moment than hiking — which is why skiffs, high-performance dinghies and catamarans use it. It lets relatively light crews keep powerful, sail-heavy boats flat and fast.
The harness and wire
A trapeze harness is a strong harness worn around the body with a hook at the front that clips onto a ring on the wire, spreading the load comfortably. The sailor clips on, extends out onto the wire with their weight supported, and can move in and out to adjust how far their weight is projected — unclipping to come back inboard for tacks and gybes. On a sportsboat or skiff, this athletic, on-the-wire crew work is a defining part of the sailing. For the vocabulary, see the sailing terms glossary.
Frequently asked questions
- What is hiking in sailing?
- Hiking (also called leaning out) is when crew lean their bodies out over the windward side of the boat to counteract the heeling force of the wind and keep the boat flat. Their feet are hooked under toe or hiking straps, and they extend their weight outboard to provide righting moment. Hiking is fundamental to sailing dinghies and small keelboats fast, because a flat boat sails better than a heeled one, and crew weight is the main way small boats stay upright when powered up.
- What is trapezing in sailing?
- Trapezing is using a wire from high on the mast, clipped to a harness worn by the crew, to stand right out over the side of the boat with the body almost horizontal above the water. It gives far more righting moment than hiking, because the crew's weight is projected much further outboard. Trapezing is used on skiffs, high-performance dinghies and catamarans, and lets relatively light crews keep powerful, sail-heavy boats flat and fast.
- Why do sailors hike out?
- To keep the boat flat, because a boat sailing upright is faster and more efficient than one heeled over. The wind in the sails tries to tip the boat over, and on a small boat there is no heavy keel to resist it, so the crew's weight, extended outboard by hiking, provides the counterbalance — the righting moment — that keeps it level. The harder the wind, the more the crew hikes to keep the boat on its feet and driving forward.
- What is the difference between hiking and trapezing?
- Both use crew weight for righting moment, but trapezing projects that weight much further out. Hiking means sitting on the side deck and leaning out with your feet under straps, so your weight extends partly outboard. Trapezing means hanging from a wire and harness so your whole body is out over the water, roughly horizontal, putting your weight as far outboard as possible. Trapezing gives much more leverage, which is why fast, powerful dinghies and skiffs use it.
- What is a trapeze harness?
- A trapeze harness is a strong harness worn around the body, with a hook at the front that clips onto a ring on the trapeze wire. It spreads the load comfortably across the body and lets the sailor hang out on the wire with their weight supported. The sailor clips on, extends out onto the wire, and can move in and out and along to adjust how far their weight is projected, unclipping to come back inboard for tacks and gybes.