NavList:

Jeremy wrote:

 

Although electronic self-steering systems as found on modern yachts (don't know about big ships) can do just this.  I remember sailing (with other crew) downwind on a largish yacht into a crowded harbour, full of those pesky sailing boats, us under spinnaker, no hand on the helm, making direction changes as tiny variations in wind dictated by pressing the appropriate button on Igor the Autohelm to alter course by one tenth of a degree at a time.  It worked very well, holding that tricky point of sail, we all agreed, much better than any of us could have done manually.