Yes, older 5.2s had antirotator which was a rod under the boom. Easy to imagine why it was removed - between that & a center bar, crew was always having to hunch down to get through a tack. One of the university boys probably wanted to sail with his girlfriend again, so after she complained vociferously about the "big hard thing poking me in the back", he probably disconnected it.

Jim Casto
previous owner NACRA 5.2 #456 (HIN dated 1976).