| Do you know the five essentials points of sailing? | | | | wind. As a guide, you will find that any sail, whether |
| When sailing you should always check that all five are | | | | jib, mainsail or spinnaker, will set best by letting out |
| adjusted to your sailing direction. | | | | until it starts to flap gently along the leading edge, |
| Boat balance - If a yacht is allowed to heel away | | | | then pulled in just enough to stop that flapping. |
| from the wind, it will tend to turn into the wind or | | | | Centreboard - As well as driving a yacht forward, the |
| luff up. If the boat is allowed to heel towards the | | | | action of the wind on the sails will push it sideways |
| wind, it will tend to turn downwind or bear away. In | | | | across the water - this is known as making leeway. |
| either ease some rudder movement will be needed | | | | To prevent this, the yacht needs more grip on the |
| to keep it on course, which will slow the boat down. | | | | water, which is provided by a centreboard |
| Turn the boat using the wheel to the desired course | | | | daggerboard or keel. The difference is simple. A |
| to steer. This may be a definite bearing or towards a | | | | centreboard will pivot around the bolt in its case; a |
| landmark, or at a desired angle to the apparent wind | | | | daggerboard is moved vertically up and down In |
| direction. | | | | some older yachts you might find a metal board, |
| Trim fore and aft - The distribution of crew weight | | | | referred to as a centreplate, all three do the same |
| fore and aft is just as important as balancing the | | | | job. If a moveable centreboard is fitted, then it |
| boat. To learn the techniques you should always | | | | should be lowered when sailing "close to the wind" |
| practice. Shifting your weight towards the wind will | | | | but can be raised up on downwind courses to reduce |
| always help. In other words, that means moving | | | | drag. The centreboard prevents lateral motion and |
| forward in the boat when sailing to windward and | | | | allows the boat to sail upwind. A boat with no |
| moving aft when sailing downwind. The aim is to | | | | centreboard will instead have a permanent keel, |
| adjust the position of the crew forwards or | | | | some other form of underwater foil, or even the hull |
| backwards to achieve an 'even keel'. On an upwind | | | | itself which serves the same purpose. |
| course in a small boat, the crew typically sit forward, | | | | Course made good - This is the shortest distance |
| when 'running' it is more efficient for the crew to sit | | | | between two points. The course made good will be a |
| to the rear of the boat. The position of the crew | | | | straight line from start to finish. You need to decide |
| matters less as the size (and weight) of the boat | | | | the best way way of getting from one point to |
| increases | | | | another in all other conditions. |
| Sail setting - A sail should be pulled in until it fills with | | | | Together, these points are known as 'The Five |
| wind, but no further than the point where the front | | | | Essentials'. |
| edge of the sail (the luff) is exactly in line with the | | | | |