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I need suggestions on how to teach someone to keep the boat, a J/40, head to wind. My partner can maintain a compass heading reasonably well, but has great difficulty keeping the boat pointed into the wind for raising and lowering the main, typically swinging +/- 60 degrees. I''ve tried different approaches but have failed and now the level of anxiety (hers and mine) is not healthy. Interestingly, my 11 year old son nails it every time; perhaps it''s because he''s not expecting it to behave like a car?

She''s an enthusiastic learner, recently completed a Power Squadron course and seems very comfortable with the boat overall. A dinghy sailing course is next and I''m sure that will help. Yes, a J/40 is a big boat to learn on but it handles beautifully, is very simple to sail short-handed, etc. Any other suggestions?