Sailing

Synonyms / Other Terms Used

Yachting, Boating, Sail Boating, Sailboating

Category

Sports, Water Sports, Sporting Activities, Activities, Recreation, Tourism

Message / Function

For notice in general and to signify the activity of sailing

	Source	Description
	O'96	Front view of sailing boat with sail set, human figure leaning out
	SN 640 827	Front view of sailing boat with sail set, water shown as two wavy lines
	WTO-Argentina	Front view of sailing boat with sail set, water shown as two wavy lines
	Otl Aicher	Side view of two-master with sails set, water shown as three wavy lines
	Tern	Side view of a sailing boat with sails set, water shown as two wavy lines
	BS 8501:2002	Side view of a sailing boat with sails set, water shown as two wavy lines
	DER	Side view of a sailing boat with sails set, water shown as two wavy lines
	ÖNORM A 3011	Side view of a sailing boat with sails set, water shown as two wavy lines
	NZS 8603	Side view of a sailing boat with sails set, water shown as two wavy lines
	SADC	Side view of a sailing boat with sails set, water shown as wavy line
	Dutchicon	Side view of a sailing boat with sails set, water shown as wavy line
	U.S. National Park Service	Side view of a sailing boat with sails set, water shown as wavy line
	Parks Canada	Side view of a sailing boat with sails set, water shown as wavy line
1)	NPS	Side view of a sailing boat with sails set, water shown as wavy contour
	UKFC	Side view of a sailing boat with sails set, water shown as wavy contour
3)	BTA 1989	Side view of a sailing boat with sails set
	O'64	Side view of a sailing boat with sails set, boat indicated by filled rectangle
	WTO-Spain	Side view of a sailing boat with sail set
	Ota	Side view of a sailing boat with sail set
	Pierce	Two sails above water shown as two wavy lines
2)	O'68	Two sails above water shown as three wavy lines
4)	Unknown	Sail above water shown as five wavy lines
	Québec	Side view of a sailing boat with sail set and human figure below sail, water shown as wavy contour/line
	O'72	Human figure leaning back, plus sail indicated by two lines forming 45° angle
	O'84	Human figure leaning back, plus sail indicated by two lines forming 45° angle
	O'88	Human figure leaning back, plus sail indicated by two lines
	O'80	Human figure leaning back, plus end of sail, water indicated as wavy contour
	Dutchicon	Human figure leaning back, plus end of sail, water indicated as wavy line

Note: Some of the examples shown above were mirrored horizontally to contrast differences.

Discussion

The majority of pictograms found show side views of sailing boats with sails set. Starting with the pictogram of the Games of the XX Olympiad in Munich 1972, variants based on clipped views also presenting a human figure leaning back entered the scene. While most pictograms display water, usually as one or more wavy lines, some renderings still seem to represent sailing boats well enough without this aspect. A few pictograms even display just sails above water, without any indication of a hull. Depending on the region of origin, also the way the sails are rendered varies to a great degree.

In our research we discovered that test results available for this referent are rather sparse:

The four designs in the table above marked with 1) to 4) were examined on basis of an Appropriateness Ranking Tests conducted in Austria (Gehringer, 1976). The numbering reflects the final ranking results, with an old NPS pictogram displaying the side view of a sailing boat with sails set and water shown as wavy contour judged as most appropriate.

Test data from Fiori (2008) is not very informative, as the pictogram presented was a rendering of a sailing boat, but scoring was related to the message Boat / Sailing Boat (Barco / Barco a vela) and no details for further interpretation are available.

Recommendations

Sailing Sailing

We recommend using a pictogram displaying the side view of a sailing boat on water with sails set, similar to public information symbol No 42 of ÖNORM A 3011 part 2, or No 9049 of BS 8501:2002, as such an image can be clearly identified as sailing boat, even in small size.

Tests of pictograms of referent Sailing

Fiori, S. R. (2008): Mapas para o turismo e a interatividade - proposta teórica e prática. Tese de Doutorado - Depto. de Geografia, FFLCH-USP.

Gehringer, J. (1976): Reihungstest über 18 Begriffe aus dem Sportwesen - Priorität I. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute (ON) dated January 1976, Vienna.