No, the sides of the snuffer box are beefed up just at the point of the dolphin striker intersection and take the loads of what would have been the post at the central point. The location ball for the mast simply is bolted through the upper part of the box and the loading is taken by a nut on the top surface. To tighten the dolphin striker all I did was put a couple of " shimms " between the striker bar and the snuffer box.

As much as I used to hate the central beam, on going down that route a whole load of possibilities arise if we rethink things to make the central beam the main load bearing / snuffer structure and the hulls are just the floatation devices. Little things like the front beam could be moved way foward to strengthen and stiffen the hulls and yet the mast base could be moved about at will.

Perhaps the front beam could be radiused as per the front jib traveller, the mast base reset according to single or double handed, the front of the hulls lightened as they no longer take any loading other than from the bouyancy aspect, the cross beams lightened as the load from the mast is now spread fore and aft by the central beam, lots of possibilities here guys but it need to be rethought completely.

Weight would be probably be lighter overall and hull shapes would be better with less reinforcing ( weight ) and thus less hull volume needed in the front end. mmmmm would love to make a complete design change here.