Hi Richard,
I have had wire/rope mainsail halyards on in-mast Bavarias that I have owned so this is quite normal. My slab reefed Bavarias have had rope only. I’ve not seen the foresail have that arrangement so I assume you mean just the Mainsail? I didn’t really form an opinion either way about them but then I only put the main sail on and off once a year.
I now have a 2001 Bavaria which is also in-mast but it has a rope halyard, presumably the wire one was replaced.
Roger