There's an old Formula 40 cat daysailing down here in the VI with singlebraid lifelines. I'm pretty sure they're using Yale Maxibraid, and it looks very slick. The spectra is served with contrasting braided whipping where it passes through the stanchions, and is furthermore seized at each stanchion.
Reading up on a few different offshore class rules, I see that wire lifelines are usually the only acceptable material. I'm fairly certain that this has been discussed on this forum before...
Just wondering aloud here: could somebody's insurance be compromised if a surveyor flagged non-metallic lifelines?
I'd love to have 1/4"+ spectra lifelines, lighter than stainless, and of a more comfortable diamater, but it may be hard to find any standard stanchion with holes large enough to pass the line. In any event, I see chafe as the most worrisome drawback.
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