Some of latest mast technology uses carbon fiber w/o shrouds so that the top of the mast tapers off automatically in heavy air. This depowers the sail nicely.
I agree that the bat wing will compress and actually give a more full shape, and make the boat harder to drive.
The Escape (even though I hate the look of it) has an auto-depowering rig like the one I mentioned above. I believe they've played with a carbon-fiber stayless mast on a stock J/92 and it worked well.
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Some of latest mast technology uses carbon fiber w/o shrouds so that the top of the mast tapers off automatically in heavy air. This depowers the sail nicely. I agree that the bat wing will compress and actually give a more full shape, and make the boat harder to drive. The Escape (even though I hate the look of it) has an auto-depowering rig like the one I mentioned above. I believe they've played with a carbon-fiber stayless mast on a stock J/92 and it worked well.