A boom, in the context of

windsurfing Windsurfing is a wind propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the aerospace and surf culture of California. Windsurfing ga ...

, is a piece of equipment that attaches to the mast, providing structural support for the

sail A sail is a tensile structure—which is made from fabric or other membrane materials—that uses wind power to propel sailing craft, including sailing ships, sailboats, windsurfers, ice boats, and even sail-powered land vehicles. Sails may ...

. It completely encircles the sail, and is designed to be gripped, allowing the sailor to control the sail for normal sailing, and also for almost any type of maneuver (such as

gybing A jibe (US) or gybe (Britain) is a sailing maneuver whereby a sailing vessel reaching downwind turns its stern through the wind, which then exerts its force from the opposite side of the vessel. Because the mainsail boom can swing acros ...

, tacking, and waterstarting). Early pre RAF/Cambered booms (often called a "''wishbone boom''" due to their symmetrical shape) were tied on to the mast using rope, but newer booms use a clamp mechanism for attachment.

Application

A windsurfer uses the boom to hold and maneuver the rigged sail, either directly gripping it in their hands, or through the use of harness lines. The boom mast attachment is the inhaul, the boom sail attachment (at the opposite end) is the outhaul and there is usually a connection at the boom head to attach an uphaul which is secured to the mast base with an elastic bungee cord allowing the rider the ability to lift the sail out of the water. When a sailor falls and must recover to a sailing position, the boom is sometimes used in one of the initial steps of performing a

waterstart A waterstart is a key windsurfing maneuver for recovering after a fall and getting back into sailing position by using wind. It is more efficient than ''uphauling'' the sail (standing on the board and lifting it by the rope, or ''uphaul''), but r ...

. When the sail is first lifted from the water, it often helps to push the back of the board slightly underwater, and then setting the front of the boom onto the board (near the footstraps). The

buoyancy Buoyancy (), or upthrust, is an upward force exerted by a fluid that opposes the weight of a partially or fully immersed object. In a column of fluid, pressure increases with depth as a result of the weight of the overlying fluid. Thus the p ...

of the board will then push the boom upward, helping to lift the sail out of the water.

Construction

The frame of a boom can be constructed from teak, aluminum or carbon fiber. It usually has some type of grip material glued onto its main beams for comfort, control, and to help protect itself, the board, and the sailor during falls. A boom can usually be adjusted in length to accommodate different sized sails, and come in different tube diameters. The front of the boom (where it attaches to the mast) is usually blunt-shaped, and constructed of durable plastic. It may also have some padding or rubberized material to minimize damage in the event it strikes the board or rider during a fall.

Gallery

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boom (Windsurfing) Windsurfing equipment