On Foghorn (hull #62) I am certain that the stick is original and so is the track which also comes down to within approximately 6 inches of the deck. It is the curved track same as mentioned above which is riveted to the mast. We also preset the pole at the bottom of the track especially for short buoy courses and just tack the jib over the top. It sounds like maybe
J/Boats may have made a change sometime during the production life (just as with cockpits, interior, etc.). I would think that the class rules should accomodate the differing configurations supplied by the manufacturer.
