Leeward
The side away from where the wind is coming — downwind. The leeward rider has right of way over the windward rider on the same tack.
Also known as: lee, downwind, lee side
Leeward (pronounced “loo-ard” by sailors, “lee-ward” by everyone else) is the side a wind is blowing toward. The leeward shore is the one in the wind shadow of the island; the leeward rider is the one positioned downwind of another rider on the same tack.
In right-of-way terms, leeward is the protected side. Racing Rule 11 says a windward boat keeps clear of a leeward boat. The reasoning is physical: the leeward rider can’t bear away without sailing into the windward rider, so the windward rider — who has room to turn down — is the one who moves.
Leeward is the symmetric partner of windward. They flip with the wind direction. The “lee” of an obstacle is the calm pocket on its downwind side, useful for launching out of strong wind but treacherous as the dirty air zone behind a cliff or building.
Related terms
- Windward The side closer to where the wind is coming from — upwind. The windward rider sits higher on the wind and yields to the leeward rider on the same tack.
- Tack An upwind turn — the board changes direction by passing through the wind from the front. Also: which side of the wind you're currently sailing.
- Right of way The set of rules that decide who yields when two wind-powered craft cross — starboard over port, leeward over windward, and a handful of kite-specific additions.