We have a Dutchman system on our full-battened Stevens 50, and can't
imagine what it would be like not to have it. When we drop the main,
the sail simply folds back and forth (maybe with a little help from the
crew, if we really need it to look especially good). If we need to
drop the sail in a hurry, we just let the halyard go and poof, the main
is down, nothing on the deck or in the water. We've done this on a
reach in a blow, with the boom hanging out over the side, no problems!

When we're sailing, there's no aerodynamic effect, as the lines are
monofilament. So the system is always ready and can be used in an
emergency with no preparation.

We'e heard people say that the monofilament chafes the sail, but after
over 20,000 miles offshore, we haven't seen any evidence of this!

One caveat: With a Dutchman system, you have to have a strong solid
vang or tighten the toppinglift before you take in a reef, so that the
boom won't be hanging on the monofilament lines. Also, of course, you
have to put grommets in the sail for the monofilament lines to pass
through.