Aussie Jib Halyard question

For the Aussie Jib Halyard there is an eyestrap on the mast approximately 18 inches down from the mast tag according to Murrays. JoyRider says this isn't necessary anymore, per the new global standard. I was also told that most sailors putthe eyestrap further downtrend mast... 24ish inches. What is correct here?

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1992 Hobie Cat 18 #16943
Hobie Fleet 198, Rapid City, SD

I was only vaguely aware of that eyestrap; my mast doesn't have it but I also don't know that my mast is original to my 2000 boat. I guess it was to tuck the halyard in tighter to the mast so the battens don't hang up on it? Some older comments indicate that this was a Murray's thing and not original from Hobie Cat.

Next time I hoist the jib I'll have a look and see if I can benefit from having that. I do use the Aussie halyard and yes, the main part of that stands forward of the mast quite a bit due to where it exits the block. The most common suggestion is to have it just above the uppermost batten.

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'00 H16 #104691
'78 H16 #32692 ex-rental [gone]
Old Holsclaw trailer
My Hobie 16 pages

I think it is a Murrays thing. Most boats that I see don’t have it. I tried using the eyestrap when I first got my boat and the problem with it is that it tends to cause the mast to counter-rotate (straighten out) downwind because the tension on the halyard pulls the front of the mast forward with no pressure from the mainsheet to force the mast into rotation.

Maybe moving the strap farther down the mast would improve things, but if you have your jib battens trimmed short and crew who knows how to free a hung-up jib, then the strap is unnecessary.

sm