How Does a Windsurfing Board Work?
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Sailboard Design
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A windsurfing board is a roughly flat board ranging from about 6 to 16 feet in length. The front is curved up slightly to stop the board from ploughing under the water, and there are one or more fins in the back to help it track straight. In the middle is a mast with a sail and boom attached to it. The whole assembly is anchored to a freely rotating universal joint. The mast can be tilted in all directions by the board sailor.
Windsurfing Basics
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A sail board does not have a wheel or tiller. Instead, it is steered by tilting the mast. The center of gravity as in the middle of the boat, which acts like a fulcrum. When the sail is in the middle, the boat sails forward. When the mast is tipped forward, more of the area of the sail is in the front half of the boat than in the rear. This turns the sailboard away from the wind. Similarly, when the sail is tilted back, there is more force on the back half of the board, turning it towards the wind.
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Turning
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When you sail, the wind is always on one side of you or the other. Turning it to the wind is called tacking, and it is a bit tricky on a sailboard. The windsurfer tips the sail far back until the boat turns directly towards the wind. When this happens, he walks around the front of the boat until he is on the other side of the boom as the boat finishes turning around. Finally, he grabs the boom in both hands and starts sailing again.
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