Hello! The original Bandit manual has the side and fore stays fastened with "chain plates", which are adjustable. As the stays don't stretch much, the chain plates allow some adjustment to tighten everything up. (The original manual is on this website.)
Here's the picture from the manual:
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www.sailmfg.com]
However, on my Bandit, it came with just shackles, which work fine and are a lot less expensive. They're faster to put on and put enough tension on the stays to keep the mast straight and secure.
Dave