Pennants
I, too, add a short wire pennant to the tack end of my genoa luff for all the reasons mentioned. A piece of stretchless line would work just as well and that is what I used with my previous furler. Another added benefit of adding the pennant to the tack rather than the head of the sail is that, when single handling the boat, it raises the foot of the sail enough to give me visibility to leeward that I would not have if the tack were lower. If this method results in some loss of performance, I really don't think it would be meaningful or as important as the added safety the increased visibility produces. Take care of yourself out there....