ROFL!!!

Mine was about 5 years old, and I kept and eye on it too. What I thought was that when the hook bent out to 90 degrees it would then be ready to fall off. The truth is its about 70 degree's.

twice in one race it dropped off the main (nacra 5.8 clewboard). less than a minute in the vice and it never happend again!

There is no good reason why your hook could not be parallel with the shaft section.