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Sailing Guide
Sailing is truly a lifetime sport, you can enjoy the waves and wind if you are
young or old, sailing can be a quiet, restful few hours on the bay, a long
cruise to destinations unknown, or an exciting blast across the lake, if you
like to race. It can be done just about anywhere around the world and the
sailboat racing community is a fun and joyous group. If you'd like to cruise
around the lake with family or friends and visit far off places then sailing
might be for you.
Common Sailing Boats
Day Sailing
Day sailing boats can offer you a wide range of experiences, depending on your
interest and preference; it can range from the safe and simple to the thrilling
and complex. Day sailing refers to boats primarily designed for use during the
day that have no, or minimal, overnight accommodations. Day sailing boats are
either centerboard boats (smaller, simpler, off-the-beach- or ramp-launchable
windsurfers, dinghies, catamarans and small cruisers) or keel boats typically
found in harbour berths because of the deep keels.
What is a keel?
A keel is a large beam around which the hull of a ship is built. The keel runs
in the middle of the ship, from the bow to the stern. The word keel is also
sometimes used to refer to a rigid, flat piece of material anchored to the
lowest part of the hull and used to give the ship greater control and stability.
Cruising
If you're headed out for a night a weekend or longer you'll need a cruising
sailboat with a place to eat and prepare food and somewhere to sleep. Despite
their larger size, cruising sailboats are generally designed for handling and
control by just two people and often include interior accommodation for two or
more people, an inboard engine, and a place to cook.
Physics of Sailing
The power of a sailboat comes from the way in which the sail catches the
wind. A sail is in fact a vertical wing. It operates in the same way as a wing
on a plane. A sailboat uses this wing (the sail), and the centerboard (which
projects downward into the water) to propel it forward.
Racing
Sailboat racing is an exciting sport that is enjoyed by friends and families on
just about any sailboat imaginable. Do it around the buoys on a lake, race
offshore around Auckland, go to the Olympics, or race around the world. Two
forms of racing exist they are One-Design racing where all boats are the same
type and pits one person's experience against the other and Handicap racing,
where different boats race against different types of boats (almost like horse
or golf handicaps). Specialty racing classes are designed in both centerboard
(windsurfers, dinghies and catamarans) and keelboat types (racers and
racer/cruisers).
Learn the Lingo
To identify the left side of the boat sailors use the term port. Conversely,
to refer to the right side of the boat sailors use the term starboard. The front
of the boat is called the bow, and the rear is called the stern. Leeward and
windward these two terms refer to the sides of the boat in relation to the wind.
The side towards the wind is called the windward side, and the side which is
away from the wind is called the leeward side.
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