laisser à tribord ou à babord

English translation: pass to the port / starboard side

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:laisser à tribord ou à babord
English translation:pass to the port / starboard side
Entered by: Julia Gal

11:10 Aug 2, 2001
French to English translations [PRO]
French term or phrase: laisser à tribord ou à babord
Les parcours, direct pour les monocoques, et pour les multicoques en laissant à tribord l'Île de l'Ascension, présentent de nombreux passages où le tactique méteo rique d'être déterminante.
Alexandra Hague
Local time: 18:41
passing Ascension island on their right
Explanation:
Babord and tribord are nautical terms which translate into English as 'port' and 'starboard'.

In this case, however, as it is a descriptive piece, apparently written for a wider public than just sailers, I would use 'left' and 'right'...

laisser quelque chose à tribord = passer à babord, i.e. to the left.

In other words, you pass the object on its left, so you see it on your right as you go past.

I hope this makes sense to you.

Give me (or Nikki) a shout if you need more explanations.

Julia
Selected response from:

Julia Gal
Local time: 18:41
Grading comment
Thanks Julia,
I figured out what it meant from the context, but I wasn't sure if there was an equivalent "nauticalese" term in English. I really appreciate your help. I think I will use "passing on the port side" because they seem to like to play up the marine theme in this text, even if the people they are writing it for no virtually nothing about sailing.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
na +1passing (Ascension Island) on the starboard (tribord) side, or port (babord) side
Guy Bray
na +1leave to starboard / to port
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
na -1passing Ascension island on their right
Julia Gal


  

Answers


8 mins peer agreement (net): -1
passing Ascension island on their right


Explanation:
Babord and tribord are nautical terms which translate into English as 'port' and 'starboard'.

In this case, however, as it is a descriptive piece, apparently written for a wider public than just sailers, I would use 'left' and 'right'...

laisser quelque chose à tribord = passer à babord, i.e. to the left.

In other words, you pass the object on its left, so you see it on your right as you go past.

I hope this makes sense to you.

Give me (or Nikki) a shout if you need more explanations.

Julia

Julia Gal
Local time: 18:41
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in pair: 897
Grading comment
Thanks Julia,
I figured out what it meant from the context, but I wasn't sure if there was an equivalent "nauticalese" term in English. I really appreciate your help. I think I will use "passing on the port side" because they seem to like to play up the marine theme in this text, even if the people they are writing it for no virtually nothing about sailing.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Nikki Scott-Despaigne: Agree for clear explanation but best to go for the right term, for neophytes or specialists
1 hr
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13 mins peer agreement (net): +1
passing (Ascension Island) on the starboard (tribord) side, or port (babord) side


Explanation:
"leaving (the island) on the starboard side...
Dict. Oxford-Hachette

Guy Bray
United States
Local time: 10:41
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 819

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Nikki Scott-Despaigne
1 hr
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1 hr peer agreement (net): +1
leave to starboard / to port


Explanation:
Extract from sailing instructions for a race - Le Transat Jacques Vabre (Le Havre - Bahia : départ 4/11/01)???

Weather tactics will no doubt play a decisive role in this race, in which the monohulls race a direct course whilst the multis have to leave Ascension Island to starboard.

I would suggest that you use starboard and port. Without going far, the odd bit of technical jargon adds spice to the whole thing and your client would probably prefer you to sprinkle a little of it here and there.

"leave to port/starboard" is the term to be used and IS widely used in race reports for the eyes and ears of the general public.

http://www.fcyc.org.uk/sailing_instructions.html

Sailing instructions
Course Start line crossing South to North - Inchmickery leave to Starboard - Oxcars leave to Starboard - Leith Approach Bouy leave to Starboard - Bass Rock leave to Portve to Port - Leith approach Buoy leave to Port - Finishing line crossing North to South
Marks Inchmickery, Oxcars, Bass Rock, and Leith Approach Bouy
The Finishing Line A line formed by the blue and white transit mark on the North East corner of the FCYC race officers box and the orange dhan buoy displaying flag 'Q' leaving 'Q' to port. Skippers of finishing yachts should record their own start and finish times.





Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Local time: 18:41
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 4638

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Marcus Malabad: starboard and port are hardly tech jargon these days unlee of course you live in a land-locked place like Idaho
27 mins
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