Wind surfing

Wind surfing (also called board sailing) involves travelling over water on a small 2-3.5 meter board powered the wind acting on a single sail, which can range from 1.7m² for kids to about 11m², depending upon the wind strength. It's truly a hybrid between sailing and surfing. The sail board might well be considered the most minimalistic version of the modern sail boat. Wind surfers can travel over flat water as long as there is enough wind, they can also cut into breaking waves and perform spectacular stunts.

There are two classifications of boards, short boards and long boards. Long boards are usually used for racing and for beginners, and generally have a daggerboard. A short board is usually classed as less than 3m in length and is more manouverable than a long board, allowing for all kinds of stylistic stunts. The development of windsurfing has meant that this disinction is becoming more and more blurred.

In competitions there are three main types of sailing:

• racing

Course sailing, fastest to complete the course wins.

• freestyle

Usually a timed event which is judged and the sailor who has the greatest reportoire, or manages to carry of the most stunts, wins.

• wavesailing

Similar to freestyle (though wavesailing preceeded freestyle) except that the stunts are generally performed airborne.

External Links

• Boards Magazine, UK
• World Wide Windsurfing Links
• Royn Bartholdi's Freestyle page - a great resource