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