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Plus, Sal, with a backstay you can do away with the need for a topping lift if you have a spliced-off section to hook the end of the boom onto just while setting up and taking down.

Well..... your topping lift is used for more than that. For instance, I wouldn't want to tie my boom to one of those snotter lines when I was tying in a reef. You don't want to be tied on to that when raising the main, either.