fore-topsail

The foresail and fore-topsail, emptied of the wind by the manoeuvre, and with no one to bring in the sheet in time, were thundering into ribbons, the heavy boom threshing and splintering from rail to rail.

Chapter 17 2010

The fore-topsail would give her the necessary way, but spreading it before she was before the wind would lay her over on her beam ends.

Hornblower And The Hotspur Forester, C. S. 1962

He ran his eyes aloft to make sure that the preparations for goose-einging the fore-topsail were complete, and his gaze lingered for a while longer as he observed the motion of the spars relative to the wild sky.

Hornblower And The Hotspur Forester, C. S. 1962

It increased to the strength of a hurricane towards one o'clock in the morning, when, the fore-topsail and mizzen staysail blowing away, the ship had to content herself with running under bare poles, careering through the water faster than ever.

The White Squall A Story of the Sargasso Sea J. [Illustrator] Schonberg

The captain's prediction was verified; for the wind continued to increase, accompanied with fine drizzling rain, until about nine o'clock, when orders were given to take another reef in the mainsail, and double reef the fore-topsail.

Jack in the Forecastle or, Incidents in the Early Life of Hawser Martingale John Sherburne Sleeper

He soon hailed the deck from the fore-topsail yard, and said he saw a boat broad off on the weather bow, with her sails spread "wing and wing," and steering directly for the brig.

Jack in the Forecastle or, Incidents in the Early Life of Hawser Martingale John Sherburne Sleeper

It was near the close of the first watch when the fore-topsail getting loose on the lee yard arm, I went aloft to secure it.

Jack in the Forecastle or, Incidents in the Early Life of Hawser Martingale John Sherburne Sleeper

Captain Miles was just thinking of setting the spanker and bending a new fore-topsail, when, as if it had been all at once shut off from its source, the strong north-western wind in a moment ceased to blow.

The White Squall A Story of the Sargasso Sea J. [Illustrator] Schonberg

A gale of wind occurred on the coast, and the crew were ordered aloft to reef the fore-topsail.

Jack in the Forecastle or, Incidents in the Early Life of Hawser Martingale John Sherburne Sleeper

It was not long before the wind swept across the waves with almost resistless force, when it was found necessary to strip the brig of all canvas, excepting a storm main-staysail and close-reefed fore-topsail; the yards were braced up, the helm lashed a-lee, and the brig was laid to.

Jack in the Forecastle or, Incidents in the Early Life of Hawser Martingale John Sherburne Sleeper