"Close hauled" is when the sails and boom pulled in tight to the center of the boat. This enables the boat to point as high as possible to the direction the wind is coming from.
Nicely done. I was waiting for a boat shot. I really like the B & W, nice tones. Reminds me of some of the high end photos I have seen for sell. Kind of has a Ralph Lauren feel. I agree with the comments about the horizon line. Good luck.