Was it an end pole or midpole snuffer?
In the Tybee 500 last year we broke a spin pole in half while stuffing the bows hard, and it was a straight aluminum pole without a snuffer end! So get a midpole, and keep those bows up...

BTW Using the spin will keep the bows up, as the NACRA is hard to keep up on a tight jib reach in those conditions. If you are reaching, keep your hand on the jib sheet and be ready to blow it at a moments notice.

dave mosley
NACRA F18 Rigging Tips

The men were amazed, and said, "What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" Matthew 8:27