Glossary

Windsurfing has a lot of terminology and as stated earlier, follows sailing terms. We have added a few here below but highly recommend further research via the internet, magazines, windsurf manuals, videos and our very own great membership which is full of windsurfers very willing to share knowledge.

Apparent wind
The wind that the sailor feels which is the combination of the true wind and the wind caused by the rig's motion
Battens
Flexible strips or tubes placed in pockets in the sail to help maintain the sail's rigid shape
Beam
Widest part of a boat. The point half way between the bow (front) and stern (rear) of a sailboard. 11
Beam reach
Sailing with the wind coming directly over the beam. Sailing between 80 and 100 degrees from the direction of the wind
Bear off
Same as fall off
Beat
To sail to windward
Bow
The front of the board; nose
Broad Reach
Sailing with the wind just aft of the beam. Sailing between 100 and 135 degrees from the direction of the wind
Centerboard
A retractable device in the center of the board that, when down, changes the center of resistance in order to make it easier to sail upwind. The Club's Novice boards and Ultra Cats have centerboards. The centerboard also steadies the board and makes balancing easier
Center of Effort (CE)
Point at which all of the force of the wind can be thought to be concentrated
Center of Resistance (CR)
Point at which all of the force of the water on the board may be thought to be concentrated. On the novice boards, the CR is approximately at the centerboard
Close-hauled
Sailing as close to the direction that the wind is coming from as possible (approximately 45 degrees from the wind's direction)
Close reach
Sailing with the wind just forward of the beam. Sailing between 45 and 80 degrees from the direction of the wind
Come about
Same as tack
Downhaul
Line that is used to put tension on the sail in the direction parallel to the mast.
To tighten the downhaul
Draft
The deepest part of the sail
Eye of the wind
Direction from which the wind is blowing
Fall off
To change direction so as to point further away from where the wind is coming from. To turn downwind. (This does not mean to jump off your board.)
Fin
A small fluke or appendage in the water at the stern of the board that provides the lateral force required to keep the board going straight
Gybe
Same as jibe
Head up
To change direction so as to point closer to where the wind is coming from
Jibe
To change tack (so that the sail is flown on the opposite side of the board) by turning away from the wind
Leeward
Direction opposite from which the wind is coming
Outhaul
Line that is used to attach the sail to the end of the boom. Used to put tension on the sail in the direction perpendicular to the mast during the rigging process.
To tighten the outhaul
Port
The left side of the board as you are facing forward
Port Tack
Sailing a course such that the wind is coming from the port side of the board. In the normal sailing stance, the left hand will be in front on a port tack.
Rig
The process of mounting the sail on the mast and boom and preparing it to sail.
A fully rigged sail, mast and boom combination
Running
Sailing directly downwind
Sheet in
Rotate the back of the sail towards the wind by pulling in with the back hand
Sheet out
Rotate the back of the sail away from the wind. The opposite of sheet in
Sinker
A sailboard that doesn't have the buoyancy to support a sailor of average weight. Some of the Club's Senior boards are sinkers
Skeg
Same as fin
Starboard
The right side of the board as you are facing forward
Starboard Tack
Sailing a course such that the wind is coming from the starboard side of the board. In the normal sailing stance, the right hand will be in front on a starboard tack
Stern
The back of the board; tail
Tack
Direction with which you are sailing relative to the wind (either port or starboard)
To change tack (so that the sail is flown in the opposite side of the board) by turning toward the wind
Universal
The joint that connects the mast to the board
Uphaul
Pull the sail out of the water using the uphaul.
The line that is used to pull the sail out of the water
Water-Start
An advanced method of getting the sail and your body out of the water by using the wind to pull the sail up
Windsurfing container
Metal container in which most of the windsurfing sails, masts, booms, and some of the boards are kept. It is located on the northeast corner of the Jericho Sailing Centre yard
Windward
Direction from which the wind is coming

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