APAD: Sailing close to the wind
Meaning:
To sail close to the wind is to take a risky course of action - on the edge
of law-breaking or calamity.
In its original sailing meaning, to sail close to the wind means to steer the
boat as near as possible to the direction the wind is coming from.
If the wind were coming from the 12-o-clock direction close to the wind might
be around 10-o-clock or 2-o-clock. Going in those directions the sails will
be full and the ship will travel along briskly. Just a small error in
direction would point directly into the wind and the ship will abruptly lose
wind and speed. Thus `close to the wind' is exhilarating but risky.
Background:
The expression `close to the wind' has been known in sailing circles for
centuries.
- www.phrases.org.uk [edited]
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Besides lucre from trade, fair or otherwise, sailing itself sounds exciting and
engaging. This proverb suggests that a good nose for the wind is essential and
the course needs to be closely watched and adjusted from time to time. Sailors
and able-bodied seamen should be rewarding careers in the 16th and 17th
centuries and every British boy must've dreamed of conquering the sea.