Mates: I really didn't want to spend a lot of time on this subject - the other sail trim controls for the main and jib are, in my opinion, more important but some of the answers being submitted are a bit off track. MAST RAKE: This is where the entire mast leans aft. It is like moving the mast backwards on the deck. When you rake the mast, the center of effort goes aft. What does that mean? It means that when you rake the mast aft you increase weather helm. If you could lean it forward, you would reduce weather helm. Weather helm is good - up to a point. Lift is produces by the sails, keel and the rudder. You only want about 3 to 5 degrees of weather helm. Beyond that amount, the lift turns to drag. Windsurfers use rake all the time. As they rake the mast back, the board turns into the wind. When they rake it forward the board turns away from the wind. Boats such as Stars, Solings and Etchells sail best with as much rake as they can get right up to the point where they can no longer trim the main. MAST BEND: In order to bend your mast you need a "bendy" mast. Look at your index finger and then bend your finger. See how the knuckle goes backwards. If you mast can do that then you have a bendy mast. Why do you want to bend the mast? The answer is because of the built in luff curve and fullness the sailmaker put there. You want to bend the mast to flatten the sail while sailing upwind. The bend (see the knuckle experiment) is pulling the fullness out of the middle of the sail. Sailing off the wind, you want a straight mast. If you could lean it forward, which you really can't, you would make the sail fuller. The reason racers like a bendy mast is because it also reduces drag. How and even if you can bend your mast depends on the mast construction, mast supports plus the age and integrity of your hull. So, before you start raking or bending your mast you must be sure your mast, sails and hull are up to it.