Having asked every rules expert who came within range about "snapping" the top batten; it's now in the rules - thanks apparently to the French, who proposed it.

New Rule 42.3 (e) 'If a batten is inverted, the boat’s crew may pump the sail until the batten is no longer inverted. This action is not permitted if it clearly propels the boat'

And 'pumping' includes both 'pulling in and releasing the sail or by vertical or athwartship body movement' (Rule 42.2(a), unchanged)

So far so good but the next question is the practical one of how you actually pump a batten over without 'clearly propelling' your boat?

Just watch me I am superb at it!
The only sailor who's boat gose slower after a deliberate pump than before!
In fact I would rather sail 300m with an inverted batten than waste time tacking the battens as the former is quicker !

Yes I have managed to prpel my boat quite a long way up wind with out successfully verting (is that the correct term) the top batten.....neverbeen protested yet but that is probably because I am racing for last place. Thats why I got a Merlin, still be last but amy be not last off the water......but we will have to wait and see.

I think the protest debate may become an interpretation of the rule word 'clearly'.  Once observed, 'clearly propelling', may invoke a 'yellow area' warning and persistent inversion correction may invite a harsher penalty.

However, inversion correction is unlikely to become a winning tactic.