When I was rehabing Solsken, I gave a great deal of thought to the concept of running the sheets to the boom, rather than the end of the boom. I decided against it because the aluminum extrusion could take compression, but I had no confidence it could take pint bending stress, particularly when combined with compression - and I wanted to be safe.

But then when I got a new mainsail, and realized that the new ones were loose footed, (the sail gives the boom NO support to counter act a bending force from the sheet) I was certain the guys that designed the Ariel knew what they were doing mounting the sheets to the end of the boom.

So you have those two points at either end of the boom - the gooseneck on one end, and the sheets on the other. A vang or preventer is somewhere in between. One of the four things (boom, gooseneck, vang/preventer fitting or mount, or the casting at the end of the boom holding the sheet lines and topping lift) has got to give. Take your pick, but don't let mother nature do it for you. You might not like the outcome.