What is leeway?

Leeway is the drift motion to leeward as a boat sails. To reduce leeway, sailing vessels use a keel, centerboard, daggerboard or leeboard to create "lateral resistance." Understanding the concept and effects of leeway are important when a sailor wants to make progress upwind (aka: "beating" into the wind). On a fixed keel boat, maximizing forward drive (ie: excellent sail trim) and minimizing the wind's lateral (heeling) force will help you progress to windward. #Sailing #SailingConcepts #SailHowTo