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If you can find some 3/16 or 1/4 inch thick aluminum plate that was cut about 6 or 8 inches longer than the mounting track and as wide as the insides of the gunnel, basically no painted gunnel top showing. You could lay that on top of the gunnel and secure it with some screws or nuts and bolts if you can get to the underside of the gunnel. Remount your track to the aluminum strip centered up length wise with what ever you was using before. Should really stiffen the gunnel top then. But as Drew was saying changing vectors on the boom angles would be a big help. Stay away from 90 degrees as much as you can if you don't change anything. Good luck to you.

Got my boat finally. If you haven’t already done it. This is what I was try to explain Sesshoku. Definitely helped me. Made pieces and spanned it from transom forward. I can run a corner and a boom DR without a ton of flex in the gunnel now.

That looks good Pikesmith, I'm doing the same on my Lund Baron this weekend, adding a 6" track for downrigger and putting a 1 and a half foot, 1.5 x 6 underneath for gunnel support. Should toughen the area up real well.

Thank you Pikesmith for posting those pictures. I think I pictured it from your great description, but seeing the photos proves that’s exactly what I need to do.