Pressure

[Martin_J]

Don't quote me in this but I'm sure I've also heard the word "pressure" used for wind in some of the recent Americas Cup races...

 

[dunedin]

I am rather bemused by the OP. I don’t understand. Is there a context?

The context is yacht racing.

It is very common in top level competition to hear phrases like
- “pressure on the right” (more wind on the right hand side of the course) or
- “pressure in 10, 5, now” to prepare for gusts.

Lots of words are used out of their original context but still meaningful for their purpose, which in this case is between experienced race crews.

If you don’t like that word, then lots of other terms you might object to as well (some not quotable on here) - bust suspect many/ most on here are unlikely to be on a top race boat (dinghy or yacht) so don’t need to worry themselves.

 

[Baltika_no_9]

Pressure means Force.
The difference between 2 or more of these forces causes wind to Flow.

Simples...isn't it??

Pressure doesn't mean force in the scientific sense of those two terms. Pressure is force divided by the area over which it acts.
It is the difference between two pressures that drives wind, not two forces.

 

[franksingleton]

The context is yacht racing.

It is very common in top level competition to hear phrases like
- “pressure on the right” (more wind on the right hand side of the course) or
- “pressure in 10, 5, now” to prepare for gusts.

Lots of words are used out of their original context but still meaningful for their purpose, which in this case is between experienced race crews.

If you don’t like that word, then lots of other terms you might object to as well (some not quotable on here) - bust suspect many/ most on here are unlikely to be on a top race boat (dinghy or yacht) so don’t need to worry themselves.

I realise that words change meaning. I might have talked about having a gay old time in years gone by. I would get some funny looks now. Most people are aware of the current usage. I can understand jargon being used by specialists for specific purposes. However, I understood that the OP referred to the word “pressure“ being used to a general audience who might well not be familiar with the use of pressure to mean wind. To them, it would sound silly. I suspect that would include the majority of sailors who might well be interested in watching a race but not be in the know to that extent. I have not tried it, but I doubt very much that any dictionary would give pressure as a synonym for wind. Some, as Wandseorth apparently did, would be confused. I must check with my son, a leading RS800 racer, occasional yacht racer and dinghy championship race officer.

And yes, Baltika is quite correct. One pascal (unit of pressure) = 1 newton (N) of force applied over an area of 1 square metre.

 

[franksingleton]

OK. My son says he does use the word “pressure” to warn of a gust - basically, increase of pressure on the sails. Not sure why “pressure” rather than “gust”.

 

[Wansworth]

OK. My son says he does use the word “pressure” to warn of a gust - basically, increase of pressure on the sails. Not sure why “pressure” rather than “gust”.

A gust of wind…….perfect concise description of the wind and how it is manifested……….or even a gust is enough..The English language has develpoed over millenniums to describe wind in all its manifestations to reduce it to “pressure” would seem retrograde………

 

[Chiara’s slave]

We say ‘more breeze coming’, or equivalent. Even though we have a guest Aussie on the boat this week.

 

[franksingleton]

We say ‘more breeze coming’, or equivalent. Even though we have a guest Aussie on the boat this week.

Obviously, you know what you mean but that does not equate to a gust which is a brief, a few seconds, marked increase in wind. Gusts can be twice as strong as the mean wind. In extreme cases, even stronger. “More breeze” could just be an increase from F3 to F4.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Obviously, you know what you mean but that does not equate to a gust which is a brief, a few seconds, marked increase in wind. Gusts can be twice as strong as the mean wind. In extreme cases, even stronger. “More breeze” could just be an increase from F3 to F4.

We draw our own conclusions from the signs. And the tone of voice. If it’s thought to be a monster gust I would say so, not just ‘more breeze’ which means just that.

 

[flaming]

I've heard the word "Pressure" used a lot in this context. To me it just seems like someone cool once said it, then all the cool people had to copy.

I would tend to use the word "Breeze" when discussing if there was more on the left or the right of the course. And the voice in my ear calling gusts definitely uses the word gust. Or "band of breeze" if it's more general.

 

[franksingleton]

I've heard the word "Pressure" used a lot in this context. To me it just seems like someone cool once said it, then all the cool people had to copy.

I would tend to use the word "Breeze" when discussing if there was more on the left or the right of the course. And the voice in my ear calling gusts definitely uses the word gust. Or "band of breeze" if it's more general.

Dear old Admiral Beaufort was well aware of the confusion created by individual terminology. He did not invent his scale of winds, he formalized accepted usage and defined terms in, at the time, an unambiguous way.
In meteorological terms, gust has a specific meaning: the maximum three second average wind speed occurring in any period. A better measure of the overall wind intensity is defined by the average speed and direction over the ten minute period leading up to the reporting time.

 

[Wansworth]

Dear old Admiral Beaufort was well aware of the confusion created by individual terminology. He did not invent his scale of winds, he formalized accepted usage and defined terms in, at the time, an unambiguous way.
In meteorological terms, gust has a specific meaning: the maximum three second average wind speed occurring in any period. A better measure of the overall wind intensity is defined by the average speed and direction over the ten minute period leading up to the reporting time.

What would his Smacks do with pressure

 

[flaming]

A better measure of the overall wind intensity is defined by the average speed and direction over the ten minute period leading up to the reporting time.

Tell that to my poor flogging mainsail....!

 

[The Q]

It is of course a railway station not a train station...
A train of what ? Camels? Wedding?

 

[Cariadco]

Pressure doesn't mean force in the scientific sense of those two terms. Pressure is force divided by the area over which it acts.
It is the difference between two pressures that drives wind, not two forces.

I was trying to be simplistic...!! but thanks for expanding, on my behalf.