years ago i restored a late queen anne victorian house
it had a huge veranda with a roof that curved around the turret/bow windows section
the gutter system was wood with lead plate lining soldered in, and of course it was all falling apart
i decided to rebuild the gutter system using 1x2 clear ceder boards that had routered edges so that when 9 pieces were assembled it would make up the rain trough
and also make up a visually appealing exteriour facade.
i went to the yard, and was allowed to preselect boards that were agreeable to bendig, the ones with the grain laying flat to its width would bend a bit, but the
boards that had the grain across the thickness of the board would bend far easier and make a tighter arc. (now i may have this backwards, its been about 20 years)
the point being go to a lumberyard and select a 1/2 of each in cedar and do a flex test,, then decide what is important to you.
if you want a board that can bend a bunch without breaking, you obviously want that grain orientation, if on the other hand you are concerned with flexing back and hitting your mast, they maybe you want the other orientation so the board will be stiffer.
one other problem with the flat grain is cupping if they get wet or damp, so maybe
you want to orient to take advantage of this cupping should it occur in the future
before you decide to carve the blade?
fwiw
bob g