Somehow that got going around a few years ago and it seems to be "common knowledge" now. Mostly by non-multi owners attempting to shake their "it's going to flip" addiction .

Multis are not rigged so as to be used as a "safety valve". Think about it - where/when would that precisely happen? When the boat heels 15*? When a hull just lifts from the water? 10' off the water?

What exactly breaks as a "valve"? The mast? A shroud? A fitting?

How could an engineer even calculate or design such a precise event?

Rigs coming down can be dangerous and deadly events. They could even cause enough damage as to imperil the boat itself. Why would this necessarily be a better choice than flipping?

Multis are rigged and designed for heavy loads - even to the point of lifting a hull or tipping over - without their rigs failing. The rig may fail at some time before or during such events, but it is not an intentional design feature.

Mark