When a sailboat switches back and forth, alternating which side of the boat is facing the wind. Tacking allows a boat to make progress in whichever direction the skipper wishes to go.
by zanny May 26, 2004
by zanny May 24, 2004
A snowboarding term. It is when a snowboarder is going down the slope with his back to the mountain.
by zanny May 26, 2004
A legendary tree at UC Santa Cruz located above College Nine. The story goes something like this: There once was a young girl who had just turned nine years old. On her ninth birthday she took a walk in the woods that today lie at the top of the UCSC campus. Along her way she found an enormous pine tree that reached high above all the other trees around it. She was fascinated by the spiraling formation of the branches as her gaze moved up to the tippy top of the tree. Being the adventurous girl that she was, she decided to climb to the top. She got all the way to the top and was amazed at the beautiful sight. She could see all the way across the bay to Monteray. As this girl, on her ninth birthday, was descending Tree Nine, her foot took a fatal slip and she fell all the way to the bottom, hitting nine branches along the way. The impact of this great fall killed her, and it is said to this day that if one goes to Tree Nine, they can sometimes see her hiding in the spiraling branches.
by zanny May 26, 2004
The part of a catameran that keeps it afloat on the water. A catameran has two pontoons that are shaped like canoes. They are connected by a platform that the person sailing the boat sits on.
by zanny May 26, 2004
This is a sailing term. When there is a steady wind, the wind passes over the boat and onto the sail. This causes the boat to tip to one side. To try and keep the boat as flat as possible and maximize speed, the crew leans back as far as s/he can over the side of the boat.
Winning the race depended upon Donna's ability to hike out as far as she could and to keep the boat flat.
by zanny May 26, 2004