Yes, towards the mast
All the other manufactures of trailerable sailboats turn their fittings front to back.
Catalina turns all the deck fittings pointing towards the mast.
Think about the mainstay, the guy wire points straight up parallel with the mast till it makes the transition towards the top of the mast at the spreader. Both ways should be ok except facing front to back would allow for easier movement of the stay at the deck fitting when raising the mast but, the bottom end of the fitting where it bolts to the wooden bulkhead in the cabin determines the rotation.
The babystays, the pull on the deck fittings are at an angle towards the mast, because the stay goes straight to the mast without a spreader keeping the wire vertical at the deck fitting, the pull on the fitting is at an angle. Because Catalina turns those fittings like no one else does creates a binding situation of the attached stay at the deck fitting during the lifting of the mast.
There must be a reason why Catalina turns those fittings? There must be a reason why these boats are still being built today?
