Very interesting - and coincidental - that I was out paddling last night in 20-25kn winds with 1 to 1.5 meter seas. I could put my boat directly into the wind and it would remain there with no need for paddling strokes at all I was paddling my Black Pearl which is a very low volume boat with little to no wind resistance from the front (other than my body) and very little from the side due to its low front deck and ultra-low back deck. I guess the shape of the hull/deck must play a large part in this equation.

Below is a profile shot of my boat to give an idea of what I'm dealing with.

Sean