Ok so what if I've been sailing Hoibies for 30 years and never understood mast rake. I never went to sailing school and only read a few tips on capsizing. Some kind sailors helped me correctly rig the boom vang and travellers on my 14 and 16. Anyway I was reading the posts on the slow 16, and since I love to go fast I would appreciate any information as how to correctly set the mast rake.
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<br>Thanks,
<br>Greg - Old man in Santa Fe, sailing old Hobies.<br><br>

My understanding is that mast rake helps you point closer to the wind but actually hurts downwind performance. This is an acceptable trade off for most racers as it decreases distance travelled and the number of tacks on the way to the windward mark. The race set-ups I've seen are raked as far back as possible while retaining the ability to sheet all the way in (this is where low-profile blocks come in handy).
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<br>If you're a recreational sailor and just want to go fast (i.e. on a reach) I don't think rake will help you much.
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<br>Pete<br><br>