First off, I am at work so excuse the fact that I am using a power cord in the pictures.
My non-hand crush technique has the loaded end of the sheet entering the hand from the pinkie side. The hand is then held at 90 degrees to the strain. This would be for the lighter strains.

For heavier loads I pass the line around my thumb and back down through the hand. This places a bight around the thumb and doubles the thickness you are gripping in your hand. If you have to ease sheet, you simply open your hand enough to drop the bight.
I am also using the latex/nitrile coated gardening gloves now. I find that they have excellent grip on the line without having to squeeze the line.

Second downside of change to a bigger purchase is that it is more difficult to take the gusts by sheeting because you have to release to much so it is impossible to sheet in again easily afterwards (if you are helming and sheeting).
Concerning the longer foot on the Stealth, shouldn't this make the loads lighter as there is less power in top?

Gill