I've witnessed many ARENA games lost only because ships couldn't fire back at those who fired at them for they were outside of the cannon range.
How the ship is angled and what is consequently within the cannon range is a responsibility of the helmsman as he commands the wheel.
So as a helmsman myself I wanna share the following tip...
Look at the picture below and remember which parts of the ship to use as navigation points to keep your targets within the cannon range. Possibility of doing more damage increases probability of winning more games, use it to your advantage.
Cheers!