Leech, clew, flap, luff… One interactive infographic shows citizens the terminology of sailing in Catalan and its translation into different languages, in order to publicize and bring the America’s Sailing Cup closer to the public, which will be held in Barcelona from August to October 2024.
The infographic “The America’s Cup sailboats” draws the main components and crew of the two models of sailboats used in this competition: the AC75 and the AC40. The graphic schematically illustrates around thirty terms and allows access to the complete terminological file for each of them, to consult the equivalents in other languages, the definition and some complementary notes.
Termcat and the Barcelona Capital Nàutica Foundation have launched this initiative, which sheds light on the sport of sailing and the elements of the ships of the six teams that will compete in the Copa América starting next summer and that are already training on the coast Barcelona. “The project not only provides information about the boats, but also offers a window into nautical terminology in various languages, promoting understanding of an event that mixes tradition with innovation”indicate the promoters of this initiative.
In this sense, the infographic reveals a rich collection of traditional terms from what is the oldest competition in the world, such as “mainsail” either “bowsprit”and modern terms recently coined with the increase in the technicalization of this sport, such as “flight controller” and “rudder elevator”elements that optimize navigation by making the most of the force of the wind.
The proposal is a preview of a more complete dictionary that is planned to be published in 2024, coinciding with the celebration of the 37th edition. The initiative, in addition to satisfying curiosity, is part of the legacy projects of the America’s Cup, its objective is to bring the sea and sailing closer to society, through the dissemination of maritime culture, the promotion of nautical sports and the promotion of the blue economy.
This infographic joins more than a hundred graphic and multimedia materials which has been published since its birth in 1985 by Termcat, a public consortium that, through dialogue between users and experts, is dedicated to developing and standardizing newly created words or neologisms for their integration into Catalan terminology.