Other than racing: If you do not send the crew out on the wire downwind you do not need it.
The Chicken line is only for downwind sailing on my boat.
I'll say that's not true. In racing we tend to only go up and downwind. For recreational sailing, a smoking reach is great fun. You'll be on the wire, and having a chicken line is a good idea for those times the boat takes a wave and slows or takes a dive.
