The height of the sprit heel when reefed is definately the limiting factor. A friend here has a racy Bequia boat whose high-aspect spritsail is made essentially unreefable due to the sprit heel setting just above the partners. My own inclination would be to make a single reef as deep as possible withought otherwise affecting sail-handling, then sail scandalized (or row!) if/when it pipes up further.
I definately reccomend the other Apprentice; Emiliano Marino's The Sailmaker's Apprentice. It's the natural companion to Brion's book, and holds the answers to most of these sorts of questions.
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