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kristin
photo: courtesy Gaastra
BEAR AWAY - To turn the board away from the direction the wind is blowing. Same as head down, fall off, bear off.
BEACH START - A method of mounting the board in knee-deep water with the sail flying.
BEAT - To zigzag your path of travel against the wind to reach a point upwind of you.
CENTERLINE - An invisible line drawn down the center of the board from the nose to the tail. Knowing where the centerline is can help you keep your balance on the board.
CENTERBOARD - Large retractable fin found on longboards and learning boards. Helps provide stability for balance and increases a board’s upwind capabilities.
CHOP HOP - Jumping the board into the air using a piece of chop as a ramp.
CLEW - Back corner of the sail.
DOWNHAUL - A rope attached to the mast base that pulls the sail down onto the mast. It takes tension — some sailors use a manual winch to pull it taut.
DOWNWIND - Direction the wind is blowing toward, or a path of travel of the board relative to the wind.
FIN - Attached to the bottom of the board, it provides lateral direction while sailing, like the keel of a sailboat.
FOOT STRAPS - Allow more board control and foot steering at high speeds for advanced sailors.
GRID CONSTRUCTION - A modern method of sail construction that uses hybrid materials such as Pentex or X-Ply that are known for their toughness.
HARNESS LINES - Lines attached to the boom used to hook in to the harness.
HEAD UP - To turn the board toward the direction the wind is blowing from.
JIBE - To change the board’s direction 180 degrees by turning downwind.
LITERS - The unit of measurement of a board’s volume — the number of liters of water it would displace if submerged.
MAST BASE - Attaches the U-joint to the board.
MAST HAND - When sailing, the hand on the boom closest to the mast.
MONOFILM - A material commonly used in sail construction. It’s clear, lightweight and doesn’t absorb water.
NOSE - The front of the board, often slightly pointier than the board’s tail.
OUTHAUL - The line that connects the back corner of the sail (the clew) to the boom.
PLANE - In windsurfing, it’s when the board gains enough forward speed to break free of the water and skim the surface, reducing drag and allowing the fastest speeds.
PORT - To the left of the forward motion. Sailing on port tack is sailing left hand forward. Port tack yields right of way to starboard tack.
RIG (noun) - The combination of sail, mast and boom after it is assembled; (verb) to assemble these parts.
SINKER - A small board used for high winds. Sailors should be able to water start and jibe before trying to use a sinker.
STARBOARD - To the right of the forward motion. Sailing on starboard tack is sailing right hand forward. Starboard tack has right of way over port tack.
TAIL - The back end of the board, usually the squarer end. This is the end with the fin.
TACK (verb) - To turn the board upwind, through the direction the wind is coming from, so you can start sailing in a new direction. Opposite of the jibe, and useful for gaining upwind ground. Involves walking around the nose of the board to the other side of the sail.
UNIVERSAL JOINT (U-joint) - Component that connects the sail to the board that allows it to move in any direction.
UPHAUL - A rope attached to the rig that is used to pull the sail up and out of the water.
UPWIND - Toward the direction the wind is coming from, or a path of travel of the board relative to the wind.
VOLUME - A measurement of a board’s displacement that is correlated with its flotation. The more volume, the more float.
WATER START - A technique used by intermediate or advanced sailors in which the sail lifts them from the water onto the board. A necessary skill for sailing smaller boards that don’t prrovide enough float to stand on and uphaul the sail.
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