[cgriswald]

I’m not sure how you’d detach the sail at speed. It’s in front of you with the same velocity. You’ve got to go around it or it around you. And you’ve got to do it at speed without modifying your trajectory.

That’s got to be more difficult than spinning around because any mistakes will be amplified over the vast distances, whereas a slight trajectory problem once you’ve arrived is much less of an issue and is correctable with onboard guidance. If you screw up the detach procedure.... you can’t steer to correct.

Assuming two different methods of acceleration (laser on departure, solar on arrival), why not construct the sail in such a way that the probe goes through the sail? It could pull the sail in, and mechanically route it’s connections to the rear of the craft. If there are material or structural difference needed, it could be incorporated into the design and two opposing surfaces.