raked masts

[Perm Stress]

An additional benefit in times of loooong booms and absence of boom kickers:
Downwind, with sheets let out, the boom is raising, while the gaff is blown progressively forward - this lead to significant downwards component in sail force; with raked masts, this downward component is much reduced, the more the rake, the more horizontal the pull of sail becomes.

In this photo, it could be clearly seen, how much downward the sails could point, when mast rake is moderate; with rake angle some 2-3 times greater, downward component would be almost eliminated. At cost of poorly set sails and booms coming to CL in light winds, tough.