To Sail Upwind - part 1

With practice you will acquire more and more sailing techniques and it will become easier and easier for you to do the difficult maneuvering in harbours, or in a heavy weathers.
But it is always good to read some theory and understand all the processes, even before you've set foot on the yacht.

1. Sailing upwind
While most dinghies are designed to be sailed virtually flat, keelboats just heel to leeward.
The keel is the main factor of stability of the vessel. The narrow hulls, which are used in some races easily heel, and are easily maneuvered but can cause a very wet ride of the crew on the deck. When the hull is wider the heeling is not so dangerous and happens much more rarely. The natural heel is about 10 degrees. The force of gravity, the weight of the crew on the windward side (when we speak of smaller yachts) and the force of buoyancy work together and don't allow the yacht to heel more than 10 degrees.
You should not worry too much if in a heavy weather the yacht leans to the leeward side. All the yachts are designed so that the excessive water in the cockpit goes away; the only problem is that you may lose unattached things, and it is not very pleasant for the crew to cling from side to side. If the heeling is consistent and is strong; then the sails should be decreased. When there is an unexpected and strong gust, the crew should be ready to react quickly - that means all members should be trained onshore what to do well in advance.

When the helmsman steers he must have good vision. He or she commands the crew so that they sit in one of the main positions - central, leeward or windward. Especially in the yachts from the smaller class weight and the angle at which the vessel tilts influence strongly the performance of the yacht - mainly speed but also keeping the desired direction.