470 jib rigging question

[amcphail2]

I recently bought a 1990 Vanguard 470. There are two wire halyards coming out of the same hole of the mast, the hole being about 2 feet below the mast top. One is the jib halyard, with the normal hauling loop at the end and coming out of the lower mast at the expected point. So I know what that halyard does. The other halyard is shorter, it reaches to about within one foot of the front chain plate, but appears to be stopped inside the mast, i.e., there is nothing that raises or lowers it. Does anyone know what is the function of this second, shorter, halyard?

[Scott Fox]

I recently bought a 1990 Vanguard 470. There are two wire halyards coming out of the same hole of the mast, the hole being about 2 feet below the mast top. One is the jib halyard, with the normal hauling loop at the end and coming out of the lower mast at the expected point. So I know what that halyard does. The other halyard is shorter, it reaches to about within one foot of the front chain plate, but appears to be stopped inside the mast, i.e., there is nothing that raises or lowers it. Does anyone know what is the function of this second, shorter, halyard?

The fixed wire is actually your forestay. To be class legal you need to fix it to the forward chainplate with shackles but if you are not worried about class rules a piece of 1/8 spectra works well. The only function of the forestay is to hold up the mast when the jib is down, once the jib is up the tension is on the luff wire in the jib and the forestay is loose.

[amcphail2]

Many thanks, that makes sense.