The educational safety factors in qualified tourism and leisure exemplified by yachting The main topic of presented paper is safety in the disciplines of movement activity which require mastering of specific skills. The author presents generally the social environment of yachting, especially tendencies towards excessive liberalization of demands in Polish yachting. Then the description of sailing sport in terms of system theory was described. The basic paradigms used in research of human behaviour, also on deck of a yacht, were mentioned. There were shown deficiencies of behavioural and cognitive psychology, as well as the role of emotions in control of human behaviour, especially in difficult situations. Taking into account psychological conditions, the author shows that in dangerous situation the safety of a yacht and crew is determined mainly by proper sensorimotor habits of a helmsman. He ought to master them in a course of proper education. The author shows also unfavourable – from the point of view of pedagogy and didactics of sailing – tendencies, excessively liberalizing demands for sailors, as well as irrational legal regulations in Poland. The hurricane which swept Mazurian Lakes on 21st August 2007 was described as an example of especially dangerous situation in sailing.