Windward and leeward

Windward and leeward are words that show direction in relation to the wind. Windward means the direction the wind is coming from. Leeward means the direction the wind is going to. 

On a ship, the side facing away from the wind is called the lee side. Mountains also have windward and leeward sides. The windward side of a mountain gets more rain because the wind brings moist air. The leeward side is usually drier.

 Usage 
Windward and leeward are important for sailing, wind-surfing, gliding, and parachuting. People also use upwind and downwind, which mean the same thing.

 In sailing 
In sailing, the windward boat is more flexible. Because of this, sailing rules say the windward boat must give way to the leeward boat when they are going the same direction.

 In naval battles 
In old naval battles, ships tried to stay on the windward side. This gave them more control. Square-rigged ships could not sail well upwind, so they wanted the windward position. When cannons were used, this was even more important. A ship on the leeward side tilted more, making it easier to hit.

 In geography 
People also use windward and leeward when talking about islands. The windward side of an island faces the wind and gets more rain. The leeward side is sheltered and usually drier. In a group of islands (archipelago), the windward islands are the ones facing the wind. The leeward islands are behind them, away from the wind.

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