Popeye has always refused to sail with the bimini up, since you can't see the sails, and it can be vertically restrictive. On the other hand, he tends to leave the sprayhood up. On my dazed kipper week in Greece, the instructor normally put the sprayhood down, but was insistent about having the bimini up when the sun was very hot.To me, this makes a lot of sense when sailing in sunny climates, after all, if you are a really skilled sailor you "feel" the boat rather than having to look at the telltales,wind direction thingy (sorry, can't remember its name in English). So my vote goes to a bimini which covers the helmsperson, with supports high enough to avoid head banging, and maybe a plastic window in the canvas to be able to cast an eye up the mast.