That is the case with ours........If you terminate the baby stays slightly forward of the mast hinge, assuming the mast lays down toward the stern, the baby stays will slacken as the mast is raised and the shrouds take over.....
.... but hasn't presented a problem as like you mentioned by then the shrouds do the job. It isn't important that the mast stay absolutly vertical, just enough so that you aren't bending the deck plate as was mentioned.
I put the mast up a couple times by hand, but I just felt it was too risky for me at this point in my life. One slip or problem and then you have hurt yourself or damaged the boat. If one does it by hand and gets hung up, and it will happen, then it is lower it and start all over again. I think the way to go is either of the factory options, block and tackle or the winch on a pole that they went to later.
Our boat came with a pop-top cover and it uses the same eye straps to ...
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor-canvas/canvas-2.html
...secure it at the front (arrows) that are use for the mast raising baby stays and I believe the reason they are slightly ahead of the 'ideal location'. This isn't a situation with the X or M since they don't have the pop-top,
Sum
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