Jay,
If you have the room on the mast you could just replace the standard halyard clutch with a constrictor clutch and run the trigger line back to the ****. I have 5 constrictor clutches on my mast (main, jib, screecher, 3/4 spi and masthead spi)and plan on running the trigger lines back.
The constrictor clutch won't slip under extreme load and will release as easily under extreme load as it will under light load. They take a bit of tuning at first but they would negate the need to leave the **** to operate.



In the pic the blue is the 2:1 main halyard, red is masthead spi and the green is 3/4 but I haven't got that one yet so the turning has not yet been installed.