Lots of independent sources suggest that the mast can increase resistance to capsizing and that losing a mast can make a boat more prone to capsizing. https://

Lots of independent sources suggest that the mast can increase resistance to capsizing and that losing a mast can make a boat more prone to capsizing. https://www.morganscloud.com/2008/08/01/sailboat-stability-contradiction/ https://www.morganscloud.com/2008/08/01/sailboat-stability-c... Overall, the topic of sailboat stability is complex enough that books have been written on the subject: https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=o3edvBByudgC&oi=fnd&pg=PT16&dq=mast+boat+stability&ots=yrntbIXUzs&sig=_Aam8GHL_P_q3_nTh1IVlLvf5pM&redir_esc=y#v=onepage https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=o3edvBByudgC&o... I would not dive into conspiracy theories on the basis of whatever back-of-an-envelope intuitions you might have here.