Where is the clew and tack positioned on a cruising shoot?

Answer 1

On a fore-and-aft rigged vessel, the clew is the point on the sail where sheets are attached and is furthest aft. The tack is attached fast to standing rigging (usually) and is furthest forward. The head (the third corner on a triangle-shaped sail) is topmost and is attached to the halyard.

In the case of a chute or spinnaker, the tack is the point attached to the spinnaker pole, and the clew is attached to running gear, e.g. the sheets. Note that, unlike other sails that can be tacked, and where the clew and tack are permanent, the clew and tack on a spinnaker reverse when you jibe.

In cases of a spinnaker without a spinnaker-pole (i.e. the so-called cruising chute), the tack attaches to the standing gear foreward and typically on deck; the clew is attached as always to the running gear. This works exactly like a big, nylon genoa.