Trying to sail too close to the wind almost never does any good and it’s a common mistake. The boat slows down, especially in waves. This increases her leeway dramatically, so although she might seem to be pointing towards her objective, she’s actually sliding sideways to nowhere.
It is better to go for boat speed. Ease the sheets a fraction unless it’s blowing nice and steady in flat water, crack off five or ten degrees and let her go. The speed will rise, the helm will come alive. You’ll even be making a better course to windward because the extra speed will result in far less leeway.
