Ask Chris Sawyer (many of you probably don't know him) how hard an I20 doing 20+ under spi hits you when you fall off. He torqued the traveler over backwards, jacked up the blocks and effed his hand up. Reason #1 to never use the plastic coated trap hoops.

Personally, I wouldn't sail solo in conditions where I didn't have some ability to self rescue. i.e. solo offshore or in cold/sever weather. Additionally, you would not see me put a tether on. I will however use a chicken line. I've sailed cats in some of the craziest sh*t ever, I have no faith in my ability to cut a tether while being dragged or that the boat will flip. Didn't US Sailing mandate the emergency release trap hooks b/c of sailors getting "tied" to their boats in bad places? Go drag behind a boat at 3-4-5 mph and see how that would feel to be tied by your waist. Sorry to sound so adament and set, but growing up the son of a boat dealer, we had all kinds of experiences. We'd drag behind mono's doing 2-3 kts and it was fun. Four kts gets tough and 5+ is hard if not dangerous. To not have the ability to let go could quickly be disasterous.

B/c of a moron skipper, I damn near got seperated going around Hatteras in the Worrell. There are risks both ways. I woudn't tether, sorry. Flame on.