10. What does this mean?

A relatively simple explanation of our windsurfing language.

Batten: carbon or epoxy "stays" running across the sail giving it shape and support.

Beach start: using the wind and therefore power in the sail to help you step up onto the board from the shallows.

Board: the thing you stand on, usually made from polyethylene or ASA/ABS plastics.

Boom: attached to the mast and sail and used so the sailor can control the sail. Often adjustable so it fits more than one sail size.

Buoyancy aid: flotation jacket designed to keep you afloat. Not to be confused with a lifejacket which, technically, will keep your head above water if unconscious.

Camber Inducers: a piece of plastic that is attached to the inside of the luff tube of a sail and fits around the mast. It allows clean airflow over the mast creating a powerful sail to go fast. Racers love them but the fixed profile will hold water like a paddling pool and with the wider luff tube also holding water, this sail will be very heavy to uphaul. Also a pain to rig.

Carbon: strong, lightweight but expensive material used in masts, booms and boards in varying amounts. The more carbon is in your equipment, the more expensive it is.

Clew: outer corner of the sail to which the boom attaches.

Cross shore: wind blowing directly parallel to the shore, also known as side shore

Daggerboard: looks like a long fin in the middle of the board and is used in light winds to keep the board going in a straight line. But it can be retracted as when you get planing your fin stops the board slipping sideways.

Downhaul: used to apply tension vertically to the sail consisting of a rope and pulley system at the foot of the sail.

Fin: attached to the rear underside of the board. Keeps you going in a straight line, stops the board slipping sideways and helps get you onto the plane

Foot: the bottom section of the sail

Footstraps: used to keep the feet in contact with the board in planing conditions, you can then steer the board more effectively

Harness: worn around the sailor’s waist or bottom. They have a metal bar with a hook that hooks onto the harness line on the boom and takes the weight off the sailor’s arms.

Head: the top section of the sail.

Leach: the trailing edge of the sail.

Luff: the leading edge of the sail

Mast: made from fibreglass and carbon, the mast supports the sail and gives it aerodynamic shape.

Mast extension: attaches the bottom of the mast to the sail. It is adjustable allowing one mast to fit more than one sail size.

Mast foot: attaches the sail to the board

Monofilm: a clear plastic sail material

Onshore: a wind blowing directly onto the shore

Offshore: a wind blowing directly away from the shore

Outhaul: used to apply tension horizontally in the sail from the back end of the boom.

Neoprene: a synthetic rubber produced in a variety of thicknesses resulting in garments with varying degrees of insulation.

Planing: when the board starts to ‘skim’ across the top of the water at speed rather than ‘ploughing’ through it.

Quiver: a name used to describe all your sails. For example, “my quiver consists of a 4m and a 5m”

Rig: a complete sail, mast, and boom.

RYA: the Royal Yachting Association was established to promote and protect “boating” in the UK. This covers most water activities, except for kitesurfing and kayaking. The RYA also have world renowned training schemes in yachting, power craft, sailing and windsurfing for instructors and participants. You get lots of member benefits including third party insurance for windsurfers. Costs £33 a year or £11 for a junior (U21).

Sail: a clear, plastic material that is pulled into an aerodynamic shape by the mast and boom. When used properly, in wind, it can propel a sailor and his board across the water at astonishing speeds!

Stance: this is the way you stand on the board and use the rig. A good stance makes sailing more efficient and will help enormously when the wind is stronger and you are learning to use the harness and footstraps.

Tide: the vertical and horizontal movements of the oceans caused by the gravitational pull of the moon, sun and by the rotation of the earth. On average, in the UK, we get 2 high tides and 2 low tides in one day (24 hours). So if it is low tide at 9am in the morning, it will be high tide 6 hrs later at 3pm in the afternoon and low tide again at 9pm at night etc.

Turning: you can turn the board around by tacking or gybing.

Tack: turning the board through 180 degrees with the nose turning into the wind to initiate the turn.

Gybing: turning the board through 180 degrees with the nose turning away from the wind to initiate the turn

Volume: amount of flotation in the board measured in litres. A 100 litre board will float 100kg of weight

Wetsuit: neoprene insulating suit worn for warmth in and out of the water.