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We had a riser bar for the mainsheet mounted to our motor mount for a while, (our motor mount is pvc stuck in the rod holders on our TI), It was around 15" high, as measured from the deck, ( similar to a goal post), I think it raised the sail control line around 8 to 10". I didn't notice much loss in sail performance at that height.
I mostly solo from the front seat and ended up removing the bar in favor of an anchor line spool that looks like a paper towel holder that has about 100' of 3/8 anchor line on it. I don't know how many have had a hundred ft of 3/8 anchor line laying all tangled up on their deck, it takes up the entire rear seat area and catches and tangles on everything imagineable, (just like captain Ahab in that scene in the old movie Moby Dick). We are divers and use our anchor a lot, so I needed an anchor line management system more than the riser. My plan which I haven't got around to yet, is to make a taller goal post, around 20" above the deck. But instead of running the sail control line over the goal post, I'm planning to run the sail control line under the cross bar attached to a dual pulley with a eye hole, (with both control lines running thru it side by side). Then attach the pully to a piece of 3/8" diameter bungy cord stretched between the left and right uprights up near the top. Doing it this way when the sail control line is tight (from the sail), the bungy stretches so the sail control line drops, (so as not to effect the sails performance). But when the main is furled and the sail control line is relaxed, the sail control line clears my head.
In our case we often run with our main completely furled , (put away) and just run on our wing jib sail, which provide all the power we need without overpowering the boat too much, (mostly in winds over 10mph).
Result is the sail control line when the main is furled is up and out of the way so it's not in the rear passengers neck or arm pits so when they get in and out of the boat they don't have to deal with that annoying sail control line. But still functions as designed when your actually sailing, (because the bungy stretches).
By mounting the pulleys on a ring, the sail control line is allowed to slide back and forth between the goal post uprights when on left tack and right tack.
Though I haven't built it yet, I've been thinking about this solution for a long time. The main reason I don't sit in the back is I hate that sail control line in my arm pits when the main is furled. When actually sailing with the main unfurled, the control line doesn't bother me too much (only when crossing tacks).
How strong that bungy needs to be is as yet undetermined, it may end up being a 1/4" bungy, (yet to be determined by trial and error, (may end up being a very weak bungy)).
Hope this gives you some insight into your design, by using an approach like this, you can likely make that riser as high as you desire (I've seen guys with risers over 24" tall), without compromising the main sails performance too badly, (you get your cake, and can eat it too) .
Hope this helps
FE
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