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The terms lee shore and weather or windward shore describe a stretch of shoreline with respect to the wind direction, and is of particular importance when sailing. The lee shore, named because it is to the leeward side of an approaching boat, has the wind blowing towards the shore. A windward shore, named because it is to the windward side of an approaching boat, has the wind blowing away from the shore. A given stretch of shoreline can be lee or windward depending on the current wind direction, but areas with consistent winds, such as the trade winds, have shores that are predominantly one or the other.