I had fiberglass pins in my 16; left there from a beach race the previous outing. Out double-trapped on a rough day when one pin snapped; quickly followed by the other. Eventually let go of the tiller as the boat was trying to flip over backwards (still on the wire), and watched the whole kit sink as the hotstick did a "down periscope" move :-( You can easily turn up with the main and jib, and turn a little downwind, but no way you can turn a 16 very much downwind with the main up. We reached across the river we were on, got to a beach, took the main down, and sat on the bows and sailed backwards to our launch site steering with our feet and the jib. If you use 'glass pins, use a safety line to tie the rudders to the boat!!
Yes the glass pins are evil. I lost the whole starboard rudder assembly (castings, tiller arm, and brand new Hobie racing blade) to the fiber pin coming apart at the Seacret's Cup on my 18. The pins were brand new before the race, didn't even last the whole regatta.
