I think the topping lift safety line should be about few inches longer than the distance from the end of the main cable to the boom shackle where it is attached when the sail is fully raised and the topping lift is lowered to put the full tension of the wishboom on the clew of the sail. In other words the topping lift is slack. That could differ according to the sail dimensions and age related stretching or shrinkage.
Brian Cayer
Spirit~Wind
N30U 419
Westbrook, CT
Thank you all for your comments. I never thought that the topping lift could be too long, but I suspect that is the correct answer. I wonder if I can have the too long topping lift shortened as it is only a couple of years old.
My dyneema safety line will be 32 inches long for the remainder of the season.
Randy, I can’t see why the standing portion of the topping lift can’t be made shorter provided the new end is past the old loop. They have to be able to work with clean straight wire. Remember that if you have 4:1 purchase on the topping lift tackle, for each foot you shorten the standing part you will need an extra 4’ in the tackle. Also when checking lengths you need to have the choker fully hardened since that is when the topping lift needs maximum length. With the choker fully hardened (the sail fully flattened) the safety strap needs to be long enough so that the topping lift is slack. It should be short enough that when the sail is not supporting the boom and the tackle is released the safety strap stops the boom hitting anyone ore anything else. On La Reina the range of length the safety line can be is very small. Remember when you are sailing in any amount of wind the top of the mast bends usually making the topping lift go even more slack. That is an observation, not something you take into account when setting lengths. Accurately splicing lines in bare Dyneema to get the correct length is fairly easy. I think it is much harder covered Dyneema.
Mark Powers