Capt. Neal® wrote:
I might also add that small bungees in place of lines in
the intermediate cringles would make it completely safe
for the sail.

Unless the wind was blowing hard enough to make it necessary to reef in
the first place.

If you're concerned about "safe for the sail" and yet too dumb to learn
proper sail-handling (your case in a nutshell), then the best thing
would be to leave the sail in a bag stowed carefully ashore.

DSK