Pepin, you made me laugh.. I too have heard the sound of a nice slender carbon crossbar altering it`s shape.. Now have a nice aluminium one.

"In rough water & heavier air I would let the tiller extension drag, and just use the tiller cross bar. If the world started coming apart I'd usually hook my arm around the rear crossbar."
Karl, you forgot to add "and shout DIVE ! DIVE ! DIVE !"