Neil, I'm gonna make my case for the topping lift here and oddly enough, I find myself opposite of what Harry Pattison was saying to do when he talked about reefing (and I have the utmost respect for Harry). However this is what works for us, how we do it ,and the rational that I put behind my actions. I am certainly not saying that this is THE way to do it, just a process that we use, have used for years, and works for us. I am a big fan of my topping lift. It allows me to get the forward reef point at the luff secured prior to the hauling in the aft reef point. The reason I do this is so that I can get the luff tensioned properly before I put rearward tension on the sail slugs. If you tension the rear reef point first you put a great deal of tension on those individual slugs, then, to make matters worse, you go to tension the luff and ask those slugs to now try to slide in the track with all that tension on them. If, though, you tension the luff good and tight prior to hauling the aft reef point in, the tension created on the luff by the rearward pull of the aft reef is not point loaded just on the little plastic slugs. I have seen a sloppily reefed main completely "unzip" from the mast when the point loaded plastic slugs just gave up and broke one after another from head to foot. The guy had tensioned the aft reef point first and the luff was very loose and "scalloped" between the slugs, indicating that it was way too loose. The method I use is to always have the topping lift attached to the boom. I then release and lower the halyard to a preset mark (sharpies work great for this) that I know gets the halyard loose enough to allow the forward reef point to get all the way down to the boom. Then, I haul in the forward reef line (or attach the reef cringle into the reef hook depending on which system you use). Now , I tighten the luff TIGHT. You want it tight so that 1. it spreads the load from the rear reef point all along the luff and not just onto the slugs. and 2. You are trying to de-power the sail. The last thing you want is a deep draft in an aft position....by tightening the luff you move the position of draft forward and by having a tight rear reef point you will flatten the sail reducing the depth of the draft and assist in de-powering the main. If you put a sloppy reef in you are defeating the purpose, especially for going to weather. So, after I have the luff lowered, attached and tensioned, Now I haul in the rear reef point. The whole time I am working on the luff, the topping lift has been holding the boom. The rear reef point needs to be hauled both "back" and "down". In other words, the line that is pulling the rear reef cringle down should be leaving the reef cringle and going to the reef block at a 45 degree angle so it gives both directions of pull, out AND down (this is when the reef point is hauled into position at the boom ). If it is not at a 45 degree angle of pull, you will either have a loose foot or a loose leach...both detrimental to the performance of the reef. Only now should the mid sail reef points be secured and they are only secured loosely to control and gather up fabric. They are not re-enforced or designed to handle ANY loads. If you sail is loose footed you can gather just fabric and not go around the boom. If you have to go around the boom, you need to make absolutely sure that the nettles (the lines used to tie up the fabric) take absolutely no load or they will rip out with devastating results for your sail. Also, you must release the nettles first when shaking out the reef and make sure that your front and rear reef points are absolutely secured when the reef is tucked. If one of them releases while under load and the nettles are secured around the boom the mid sail reef points will most likely rip out. Jo and I have been able to get to where we can tuck a good reef in under a minute and it has made our sailing way more fun and much more relaxed. I have had boom kickers and rigid vangs and although they will "hold the boom up" they are not a solid "hold". In other words, if in the process of tucking the reef you need to haul downward on a line that is attached to the boom like an aft reef line, or if you lose you balance and try to use the boom to regain it, ..the back of the boom will continue to drop down as you add force or weight to it. At least that was the case with the ones I used. They are able to hold up the weight of the boom and a little more...but my big a$$ stumbling over a goldendoodle and grabbing the boom for support would cause the boom to just drop down. It's just a personal preference, but for me an adjustable topping lift is much better. Of course all the above is qualified by "IMHO" and as my friend Gary O always states: "your actual mileage may vary!" hehehe ok..well, enough of me rattling on...waiting for the breeze to come up here in San Diego so we can get one more day of sailing in before heading back to the land of powerboats! Sean M23 "Dauntless" _www.havasumontgomerys.piczo.com_ (http://www.havasumontgomerys.piczo.com)