The Hobie 16 fully battented jib is larger than the fore triangle area. That means that the jib has to bend to pass through. Yes the battens can get caught, but on light air days you still have to push or pull the jib through. This is normal. There are techniques that work better than others. Basically you have to grab the sail near the bottom batten at the leech and push the jib forward to bend the battens enough to clear the mast. This works best from the "new" leeward side after a tack. You push the jib forward and then pull through. Pushing the jib from the weather side and trying to push against the center of the jib is a common mistake that can make it frustrating.