: Personally I'd run the darker strips following the sheer and the lighter ones
: running fore and aft.

I'd agree, except that I would trim of the lighter strips at the shear and add one or two shear strips to that side and extend them right to the tips. Maybe two light strips with a thin pinstripe of the darker wood between. This way no ends land on the shear line.

It may also be easier to do the lighter color first and trim the desired curve from it, then strip from there to the shear, trimming again as needed to fit shear strips.

Tom