Raymarine Race Master User Manual page 9

Optimise wind shifts
Your Race Master is the ultimate wind shift indicator, giving you precise,
clear numerical and graphical readouts.
Before the race, you program the Mean Wind Direction (MWD) and the
Tack Angle (TAK) into the Race Master (see section 3.3).
During the race, you get an instant visual display of:
Your heading as a large stable digital number (the upper display).
How far you are sailing above or below the mean close hauled
heading (lifted or headed) as a precise digital number (the lower
display).
How far you are lifted or headed in bar graph format for instant visual
impact (the vertical bar graph).
Race Master gives you this critical information when you are sailing both
upwind AND downwind. You sail your boat for maximum speed to
windward, using the Race Master to identify the headers and lifts to help
you decide when to tack. Timing your tacks and gybes is absolutely
critical to winning races and Race Master shows you the wind shifts
more clearly than ever before.
Racing and Start Line Bias
If the starting line is laid at exactly right angles to the wind, the distance
sailed to the windward mark is the same wherever the boat starts on the
start line.
If the start line is not laid at exactly
ninety degrees to the wind, there is
a favoured end to the line; a boat
that starts at the favoured end
starts upwind and therefore ahead
of a boat starting at the other end
of the line. The angle between the
actual line heading and the
theoretical line at right angles to
the wind is called the Line Bias;
the larger the bias angle, the
greater the advantage to be
gained from starting at the
favoured end of the line.
The diagram (right) shows the relationship between these values.
Optimise your start with the Race Master
Your Race Master has the ability to capture the Line Perpendicular (the
heading at right angles to windward of the start line) and to display the
Line Bias angle and the favoured end of the line.
Racing Functions
7