CAP (Compass Heading)

CAP (from the French word for heading) is the compass heading, in degrees, given in a rally roadbook. "C.090" means ride due east, "C.180" due south. When there is no track to follow, the CAP is the main navigation instruction.

A calculated CAP is a straight-line bearing between two reference points that the rider follows off-track, choosing his or her own line over the terrain. Riders compare it with the CAP repeater, a display usually built into the rally trip meter or navigation tower that shows the bike's current heading from GPS or an electronic compass.

To ride a CAP well, check the heading often, aim at a distant landmark on the right bearing and correct small drifts early. Practising with a roadbook on enduro or rally-raid events in the Baltics is a good way to learn before bigger rallies.