About the mast rake and what it is referenced to. I had a chat with Nick Peters, the Swallow technical director, at the boat show. He confirmed that the rake is relative to the waterline. So pop the boat in the oggin and pop an inclinometer on the mast. If you don't like the rake, you can adjust the shrouds or ask the mother in law to sit further aft. Nick also emphasised that in practice the rake makes very little if any difference. he says a bit of aft rake helps the boat look good in photos, but doesn't really affect sailing performance.