TARGET 091007

Wind Surfing

Windsurfing is a surface water sport using a windsurf board usually two to four meters (6-12 feet) long and powered by the effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a mast, wishbone boom and sail. The sail area ranges from less than 3 to 12 swuare meters, depending on the wind conditions, the skill of the sailor and the type of windsurfing being undertaken. In high winds, a smaller said is usually used for greater control. Even still, the speed attained can be quite impressive.

Once referred to as "surfing's ginger haired cousin" by the sport's legendary champion, Robby Naish, windsurfing has long struggled to present a coherent image of the sport to outsiders. Indeed, until the 1990s participants would regularly use different names to describe the sport, including sailboarding and board sailing. Despite the term "Windsurfing" becoming the accepted name for the sport, participants are still called "sailors" and not "surfers".

Windsurfing, as a sport and recreational activity, did not emerge until the later half of the 20th century. But before this, there have been sailing boats of various designs that have used wind as the driving force for millennia, and Polynesians have been riding waves for many of them, undertaking day trips over oceans standing upright on a solid board with a vertical sail. Therefore, crediting any single person with the invention of windsurfing would be presumptuous.

If you gained information in your session which was not covered in the feedback, please take a look at these sites:
Wikipedia
Windsurfing magazine

Many thanks to Ray McClure for suggesting and programming this target.