|
|
|
|
Dictionary U
| V | W | X
| Y | Z
|
|
-
| Uphaul (the noun): The
uphaul is the thick rope that is used to pull the sail out of
the water. It is often made from tubular webbing with
elastic bungee cord in it to keep it out of the way (against the
mast) when not in use. Our uphauls are available at Uphauls
. |
 |
- Uphaul (the verb): Uphauling
the sail is to pull it out of the water. This is the way
that a sailor gets going on a longboard. Experienced
sailors may be able to uphaul a short
board, but it is tricky as the board may sink, and become
unstable.
-
| Universal Joint: The
fitting that connects the rig (sail/mast/boom) to the board.
This joint defines our sport. It is what Newman
Darby used on his first sailboard. It is the
difference between a sailboat and a sailboard (windsurfing
board). This joint allows the sail to fall flush to the
water without tipping the board over. It also allows you
to tip the sail forward and back to adjust the center of
effort. On a longboard (one with a
daggerboard) this is
how it is turned. By tipping the sail towards the front of
the board, the wind will blow the nose downwind, tipping the
mast towards the back of the board causes the wind to blow the
back of the board downwind, and in effect the nose of the board
into the wind. comes in a few different styles. Also
referred to as a U-joint, Boge joint, or rubber joint. To see
our selection of U-joints, mast bases, etc..; click
here. |
 |
- Vee: If you put a straight edge from
rail to rail on the bottom of the board, the distance between
the straight edge and the board is the amount of vee. For
more info on vee, check out our board
design seminar.
-
- Vinyl: Vinyl is a material added to plastic that makes it highly resistant to punctures or rips. Vinyl is mostly used in sail windows where durability is most important. Vinyl tends to be heavier and thicker than monofilm which is why it is used sparingly in a sail's construction.
(Source: Ezzy web site)
Volume: Amount of floatation a
board will provide. This figure is given in liters.
The more liters of volume, the more water will be displaced when
the board is submerged. One nice metric fact is that one
liter of water weighs one kilo, hence one displaced liter of
water will provide one kilo of floatation.. If you want to
figure out how many kilos you weigh, multiply your weight in
pounds by .4536, and that will be your weight in
kilos. When figuring out how much volume you
need in a board, keep in mind the weight of a rig, and the
weight of the board too. For example: If you wanted a
board that would just submerge to about your ankles when
perfectly still, and you weighed 180 lbs, you would multiply 180
x .4536 to get 82kilos. You would then have to
figure out the weight of your board in kilos, and the weight of
the rig in kilos, and add them all together. A typical rig
may weigh from 20 to 30 lbs (9 to 14 kilos), and a board can
weigh from 15 to 30 lbs (7 to 14 kilos). So, back to our
example: 180 lb person, plus a 25 lb rig, plus a 20 lb.
board. This would be 225 lbs, which translates to about
102 kilos, or 102 liters of volume needed to keep your ankles
dry. Of course volume doesn't mean much once your board is
moving, as you then also have the lift of water being
propelled against the bottom of your board. Also, liters
won't necessarily mean that you would be able to sail, as you
would need to be able to balance to. But it will give you
an idea of static buoyancy. For more on volume, check out
our board
design seminar.
- Waterstarts: Waterstarts
are the preferred method of getting going on a short
board. It is similar to the way that a water-skier
gets out of the water, except that it is the wind in the sail of
the windsurfer that lifts the sailor out of the water. At
least a 12 MPH wind is needed to do a waterstart.
Wave sail: Designed for sailing
in wave or high wind conditions, there are no
cambers - the sail can move easily, rotate
& be manipulated when changing direction
(jibing & tacking) quickly. The angle of the foot to the clew is a
"higher" cut than on slalom or race
sails. In other words you have less foot. To
make up for this you usually have more area
above the boom especially in the head so that
the wave is not effectively blocking your
wind. You also don't want a lot of foot
because it's wasted material- down low. You
don't "rake" the sail back as you
do when slalom or race sailing. In wave
sailing you sail the rig more upright. Having
a higher angle also makes it easier to
perform tricks without having the foot
material get in the way. Wave sails are rigged flatter than slalom or
race sails and have a less effective wind
range. There is usually a half a meter
between sail sizes e.g. 3.0, 3.5, 4.0. Some
sail designers make wave sails for specific
conditions i.e. on-shore designs, side-shore
designs, etc...
-
- Wavesailing:
-
-
| Wetsuit:A wetsuit is usually
worn when windsurfing. Suits designed for winter sailing
are up to 5mm thick, and cover all of your legs and arms, and
sometimes even your head. Summer suits can be shorties
(short arms and legs) with 2-3mm neoprene.
Wetsuit vests (1-3mm) are often used in tropical areas like
Hawaii. |
 |
- Wide Point (of
board): This is the widest point of a board,
measured from one rail to the other. The distance of the
wide point from the tail effects the boards performance.
For more info on this, check out our board
design seminar.
Width: This measurement often refers to the widest
point of a board. Wider boards are more stable, and plane
more quickly than a narrower board. On the other hand,
narrower boards are easier to control at higher speeds, and also
have a higher top end
speed. Width of a board is much more important than the
length of a board. Most shortboards
used in the Gorge are between 20" to 23" wide.
For more info on board width, check out our board
design seminar.
Windward: Windward is the upwind
side, or the side from which the wind is coming. For
example, the windward side of an island, or a board. The
windsurfer back is usually to windward. Beating to
windward is to sail upwind. The opposite of windward is leeward.
- (empty)
- (empty)
- (empty)
|
|
Windance 108 Hwy. 35, Hood River, OR 97031
800:
1-800-574-4020
Direct: 541-386-2131
Email
Us
Customer Service | Directions
to Windance |
Shopping
Cart
|
FAQ |
Search
Copyright© 1995 - 2007, Windance Inc. All rights reserved.
|
|
