yacht

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yacht:

see motorboatingmotorboating,
sport of navigating a motor-powered vessel on the water. It is done on either fresh- or saltwater and may be competitive or recreational. The first successful motorboat traveled (1887) a few yards on the Seine River in Paris.
..... Click the link for more information. ; sailingsailing,
as a sport, the art of navigating a sailboat for recreational or competitive purposes. Racing Classes

There is no single "yacht type" of boat, rather many types that include sloops, yawls, catamarans, and ketches.
..... Click the link for more information. .

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Yacht

a vessel powered by sail, motor, or both, with a displacement up to 3,000 tons, designed for racing or pleasure trips. Sailing yachts are the most common type.

The first mentions of sailing yachts used for racing date from the 17th century. Sailing yachts may be divided into vessels designed for extended voyages and races on the open sea and racing and pleasure yachts designed for use in coastal waters. Depending on the shape of the hull, yachts may be classified as keeled types, in which the bottom forms a fin keel (more precisely, a false keel) that improves the vessel’s stability and prevents it from drifting when under sail, and shallow-draft yachts with a sliding keel, or centerboard; some combination types have both a fin keel and a sliding keel. Twin-hulled yachts are called catamarans, and yachts with three hulls are called trimarans. Yachts may have one or more masts with various types of rigs.

Figure 1. The direct xerographic process: (a) electrophotographic paper, on which the copy will be printed, (b) distribution of charges in the paper, (c) exposure of the photoconductive layer, with arrows representing light rays, (d) paper after exposure, (e) development of the latent image, with small black circles representing particles of the dyed powder, (f) paper with a fixed image, with black rectangles representing melted powder particles bonded to the paper’s backing; (1) electrically conductive backing, (2) photoconductive layer

yacht

[yät]

(naval architecture)

A sailing or power boat used for pleasure cruises or racing.

yacht

1. a vessel propelled by sail or power, used esp for pleasure cruising, racing, etc.

2. short for sand yacht, ice yacht

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

References in classic literature ?

His signal was returned, and in two hours afterwards the newcomer lay at anchor beside the yacht. A mournful answer awaited each of Edmond's eager inquiries as to the information Jacopo had obtained.

One fine morning, then, his yacht, followed by the little fishing-boat, boldly entered the port of Marseilles, and anchored exactly opposite the spot from whence, on the never-to-be-forgotten night of his departure for the Chateau d'If, he had been put on board the boat destined to convey him thither.

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Two or three, including the owner, sprawled in the cockpit, shuddering when the yacht lifted and raced and sank dizzily into the trough, and between-whiles regarding the shore with yearning eyes.

No word was spoken, but at once the yacht began a most astonishing performance, veering and yawing as though the greenest of amateurs was at the wheel.

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This to the guest admitted on board on sufferance, and not one word of it addressed, even by chance, to the owner of the yacht!

Interpreted by the Code, this signal indicated two ominous words, "Bad news." Launce looked significantly at the owner of the yacht (meaning of the look, "Is he at the bottom of it?").

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He lent us the money to become our creditor; and he lends us the yacht to give another handle to the people who are saying already that he occupies the position in our family which is more fully recognized on the other side of the Channel!"

"We will refuse the yacht," Barrington said sullenly, "and I will go to the Jews for that eight thousand pounds."

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When the yacht had passed the man resumed the conversation that her appearance had broken off.

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So it was that he slept, while the rain still poured on deck and the yacht plunged and rolled in the brief, sharp sea caused by the squall.

But instead of remaining stationary, in token that the yacht was coming toward them, it began moving across their field of vision.

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A Japanese came down on the landing-stage beside Saxon and Billy, and hailed the yacht. He carried parcels of meat and vegetables; one coat pocket bulged with letters, the other with morning papers.