Windsurfing Technical Terminology
Abeam----Any object bering at right angles to the board's keel line is abeam. On the beam.
Aft-----Toward a board's stern.
Apparent wind---- A combination of true wind and wind generated by the forward movement of the board.
ABS----Plastic materal from which production boards are manufactured.
Aerial---- To leave the wave face and come back down on the same wave or close by.
Animal---- Gnarly dude who sole objective in life is to distroy wave faces.
Anemometer---- A device used to indicate wind speed.
Aspect ratio---- Relationship between the sail's horizontal and vertial dimention.
Astern----See Aft.
Athwartships---- A sideways direction on a board that is at a right angle to a line from bow to stern.
Backside----To sail across the wave face with your back to the wave.
Back----To push the sail out against the wind to help turn the board, or move it backwards.
Bailing out---- Leaving the board to avoid injury, usually while airborne.
Barometer----Adivice used to indicate atmospheric pressure.
Beach break---- Waves that break decrectly on the beach usualy hard rips for a windsurfer.
Beam----The width of a board at it's widest point.
Beam reach----Sailing at approximatly 90 degrees to the wind source with the wind coming abeam and the sail let out about half way.
Battens ---- Removable epoxy, fibergalss, or carbon former that that help induce of hold the shape of a sail.
Beating---- Apoint of sailing upwind as close to the wind as possible.
Birds ----Another name for whitecaps on a typical Jordan lake sailing day.
Bear off----To turn the board away from the wind.
Bear up---- To turn the board toward the wind.
the) Basin----2 hours plus behind the wheel, 5 hours of bliss, 2 hours plus behind the wheel.
Bitchin'----- Extreamly rad conditions.
Bottom turn---- Fast carved turn at the base of a wave.
Boom----A wishbone spar used to hold out the sail.
Bow----The front end of the board.
Blank---- Block of foam(usually PU or PE) from which the board is shaped.
Bowling----Difficult wave break that closes out in a bowl shape.
Broad reach----Sailing with the wind coming over the rear corner of the board with the bow appromaximatly 135 degrees to the wind source.
By the lee----Sailing down wind with the wind blowing over the leeward side of the board,(watch out for an unexpected Gybe)
CAM---- Sail design that induces or bends shape into the sail. The cam is fixed to the forward end of the batten and against the mast. As sail is rigged, compression forces the battens to bend. As the battens bend a rigid wing shape is locked into the forward portion of the sail. This sail shape increases low end power and optimizes top end rig performance.
Carve----Turning the board on the inside rail for a gybe. (or bottom turn on a wave face)
Cavitation----Caused when air is drawn down the side of the skeg(fin) causing it to loose it's grip causing the tail of the board to slip or slide away from the wind.
Caught inside---- When you are unable to make it outside the breakline, usually occurs on a large set.
Centerboard------ A pivoting foil shaped blade raised and lowerd through the center of the board below the waterline which prevents the board from crabbing down wind.
Centerline----An imaginary line that runs down the center of the board form bow to stern.
Cleat----A device that is used to secure lines, that cannot be trusted.
Closeout---- When the wave or section of wave collapse.
Close reach----Sailing with the wind just forward of abeam, or with the bow approximatly 70 degrees to the wind source.
Clue of the Sail---- The connection on the back corner of the sail wher the rear end of the boom attaches.
Come about----Turning the bow of the board thru the eye of the wind...see tack
Come up----turning the board toward the direction of the wind.
Crabpot---- Somthing you want to sail well downwind of.
Custom Board---- A board that is usually made to the specfications of the sailor who orders it , as opposed to a mass produced board. It does not mean a fiber glass board, as most all custom boards are fairly durable and made of epoxy resins and custom cloths. Yes, you can jump a custom board without it breaking in half.
Cross Shores---- Wind blowing perpendicular to the waves. Great conditions for windsurfing.
Cutback---- Fast transition when a board at the top of the wave face rapily turns to go back down the wave face.
Dagger board----vertical moving foil shaped blade,used to provide lateral resistance.
Dialed-in---- Having the sail properly trimed for the amount of wind, having the correct board setup, and otherwise planing across the water with the minimum amount of hydrodynamic drag. Just, blow your doors off fast.
Downhaul---- Connection at the bottom corner of the sail that attaches the sail to the mast foot. Used to adjust the luff tension in the sail.
Downhaul Purchase---- A way to gain mechanical advantage while downhauling or outhauling a sail. By threading the dowhaul rope through the sail tack and pullys in the mast foot, you can gain a 3:1 or even 4:1 "purchace" , thus making it eaiser to downhaul or tune modern sails.
Downwind---- Stand with you back to the wind and extend you arms out to your sides. Everything in front of you is downwind.
Draft---- Depth or camber in a rigged sail. Controled by downhauling the sail, or sometimes by adjusting the outhaul.
Drogue----Sea anchor. What the sail becomes when you try to paddle your board to shore with the sail in the water.
Drysuit---- Extends your sailing season to 12 months (depending on the person.) Designed so that water will not go through. Always has a water proof zipper. You can get thicker or thinner ones depending on price and make. Just remember it's only as good as your boots and gloves.
Ice Cream Pain----Somthing you get when you miss a jibe on Jordan in January.
Epoxy---- Resin used in board,mast and fin production.
Extentions----Aluminum pieces used to make masts and booms longer or shorter.
Eye of the wind----Exact direction from which the true wind is coming.
Knot---- One nautical mile per hour. One Knot equals 1.2 miles pre hour.
Flare---- Either sinking the tail of a longboard in a gybe, or kicking the back of the board into the wind in a jump.
Flat---- Rigging the sail with a lot of extra downhaul, for higher winds otherwise extending the range of the sail.
Flex----amout of deflection in masts or fins.
Floater---- A board that you can successfully uphaul. Usually classes with longboards.
Foil----Cross section thickness of a fin or centerboard.
Foot----Bottom edge of the sail.
Footstraps----Loops of webbing attached to the board to provide leverage otherwise keeping the sailer on the board in higher winds and while jumping.
Fore----Close to the front of the board.
Frontside----To ride a wave facing the wave face.
Getting air----Same as an aerial - wave jumping.
Go to weather---- Sailing to windward.
Gnarley---- Very dangerous or difficult conditions.
No-wake Bouys---- Windward and Leeward racing marks for Jet Ski's and Wave Runners.
High aspect ratio---- Sails with shorter booms and higher or taller sails.
Harness----padded seat or waste belt which is hooked into the loops on the boom, designed to take the strain of the arms of the sailor.
Head---- Head of the sail flat in shape or twisted off with greater downhaul tension.
Hull---- The board without fin or rig.
Kevlar----An ICI fiber, derived from a type of nylon, which is stronger than fiberglass and used in board manufacture.
Kickout---- Leaving the wave before it collapses, to keep you from being caught inside.
Lamination---- The joining of layers of cloth(fiberglass, carbon, kevlar) to the blank. Or joining of mylar to dacron in sails.
Leach---- The area of the sail that runs from the clue to the head of the sail.
Lee----Protected area.
Leeward----The opposite direction of the wind source.
Mast foot----Part that attaches the powerjoint to the board.
Nervana---- A state of being the day after Jet Ski's are baned at Jordan, or, When work on Hwy, 64 is complete.
Nose---- Front of the board or Bow.
Outhaul---- Line attached to the sail clue grommet and boom back end, used to trim the sail.
Gust---- A sudden increase in the winds velocity.
Gybe---- Turning the board while going down wind so that the tail of the board passes through the eye of the wind.
JetSki---- A noisy, gas guzzeling, air breathing, smoke belching, scrourge to the windsurfing sport. Avoid these dangerous, smelly, obsticles as they perform rapid unpredicable turning manouvers without warning. Fortunatly they only appear from April 15, to October 15. No one knows where they go in the winter.
Leeward---- Facing away from the wind.
Luff---- The front edge or leading edge of the sail; the mast slides into the Luff sleeve. The luff runs from the head to the tack of the sail.
Lull---- A sudden decrease in the winds velocity. When the wind dies.
Lullpain---- Aching forearms while balancing the sail on a shortboard during the lulls between gusts.
Nukin---- Very strong and steady winds. Getting overpowered on your 4.5 meter sail.
Port---- The left side of the board while looking forward.
Rails----The sides of the board.
RAF---- Rotating asymmetrical foil- A sail designed with a narrow mast sleeve, The sail rotates as the as the luff moves across the mast from one side to the other as you tack or jibe the rig. As the sail fills it allows for a less turbulent and efficent leading edge. The RAF foil shape allows for effortless rotation during a tack or a jibe.
Resin---- Substance used to impregnate the fiberglass or carbon cloth to give strength and rigidity.
Rocker---- The amount of upward curve on the nose and tail of the board. In most cases the more rocker the more maneuverable the board is. The less rocker the faster the board is.
Sailing Overpowerd----- Carring too much sail for the conditions. This happens about half of the time you sail at Jordan on a very windy day. The gusts always test you, however you need the extra sail to make it back to shore during the lulls. A good rule for Jordan is to rig 2 sails.
Sharkboard---- Tom Hanifins first board. (This is the board he won a Walmart.)
Sinker---- A board that will not support the weight of the sailor. Usually a board that is either less than 90 liters of flotation, or a board you cannot uphaul.
Skeg---- Fin at the tail of the board, aids in the directinal stability of the board.
Spin-Out----Same as cavitation. When air is drawn down the side of the fin, causing it to loose contact with the water.
Starboard---- The right side of the board when you are facing forward.
Steamer---- Extends your sailing season to all but the coldest months. Water does not go through the steamer material. Water usually does go through the zipper area and will give you a chill if you go all the way under the water.
Tacking----Turning the nose of the board upwind through the eye of the wind to change tacks.
Thirty minute pass----The best way I know to save 4 bucks on a day there calling for 10-20 at Lake Jordan.
True wind---- The actual speed and direction of the wind felt while standing still.
Typical Jordan---- The sharp increase in wind velosity followed by a sharp or sudden decrease in wind velocity. also gusty winds gusts from 5 to 25mph.
Universal joint---- Connects the mast/rig to the board, allows for the piviting of the rig in all directions. Or a combination of the mast foot, power joint and mast base.
Uphaul---- Thick Bungie/Rope attached to the front end of the boom, used to lift the rig out of the water.
Upwind---- Face yourself into the wind and extend your arms out to your sides. Everything infront of you is upwind.
Wetsuit---- Designed to extend your sailing season. In central NC from mid April thru the end of October. Water goes through a wetsuit, so it stays wet once you fall in. After the suit gets wet, your body heat warms the suit and dulls the cold water after it becomes wet.
Wind Pig---- Sitting and whining on the shore with your 5.5 rigged while every one else is ripping along on their 7.5's.
Windtalker----A line that is constantly busy on windy days.
Windward---- Facing the wind.
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