Five essentials

The five essentials of sailing describes the five key things that a dinghy sailor uses to sail the boat as efficiently as possible. The five essentials are:

• Boat balance - which side the sailor sits on and how far out to make sure the boat sails level.
• Rigging - lifting the daggerboard up when sailing downwind and putting it down when sailing upwind. Also changing the outhall
• Course made good (C.M.G.) - taking the most efficient route from one point to another depending on the direction of the wind.
• Sail setting - pulling the sail in when sailing upwind and letting it out when sailing downwind.
• Trim - sitting at the front of the boat when sailing upwind and at the back when sailing downwind.