Which risk significantly increased due to the practice of 'topping' masts during 18th-century ship construction?

💡 Explanation

When 'topping' masts (raking them backward), the elevated sail area shifted the center of effort upwards, increasing instability because a higher center of gravity reduces the restoring moment. Therefore elevated center of gravity creates an safety imbalance, rather than keel stress, helm issues, not resonance; those required distinctly from different mechanical origins.

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