Weather helm

As weather helm is defined as the tendency of a ship, particularly a sailing ship, to rotate at amidships fixed rudder to windward, ie in the direction of the wind. The opposite behavior to strive for Lee, is called Leegierigkeit.

Sailboats and Sailing Yachts

Dynamics of center of effort and lateral center

At the center of effort (even sail focus ) in which one can imagine combining the forces of the wind on the sails, two forces on the sail or the boat act essentially: The propulsion of the wind moves forward and the wind pressure pushes the boat to Lee. At the lateral center (also of lateral resistance ) under water act two opposing forces, namely, the water resistance which counteracts the propulsion, and the lateral force, which counteracts the outward Lee pressure on the sail and thus causes the heel ( tilt ) of the boat. Through the couple propulsion vs. Water resistance is a torque that rotates the bow of the boat in the direction of the wind, because the center of effort is by the heeling of the boat in the lee of the lateral center. Through the couple Lateral Wind Pressure vs. Lateral force creates a torque that rotates the boat to leeward, as the center of effort is usually in front of the lateral center. Both torques are in a well- trimmed boat approximately in balance. A slight weather helm is usually desired.

Weather helm is usually caused when the center of effort is in proportion to the lateral center too far back.

Correction of weather helm and Leegierigkeit

There are, depending on the type of boat and accurate cause different ways to counteract a strong weather helm:

• Displacement of the sail pressure point at the front by reefing the mainsail or Ausreffen the headsail,
• Displacement of the lateral center aft by moving the crew weight,
• Reducing the heeling by reefing, by shifting your weight to windward of the team or by moving the Travellers according to Lee.

A light weather helm is often desirable, especially in sailing dinghy to simplify the control of the boat. It is also for the safety of advantage if, for example, at a fraction of the tiller, the rudderless boat shoots self in the wind, that is, veers off to windward, and thus comes to a standstill. Leegierigkeit is almost always undesirable.

Sailing surfboards

A windsurfer uses the windward or Leegierigkeit to control his surfboard: By tilting the mast to windward or Lee it affects the position of the sail pressure point and calls so, depending on the desired change of direction, windward or Leegierigkeit forth.

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