I have been the willing victim of failed drum winch tension. Not any more. I use to use rubber bands to keep my drum winch sheet line taut. When I did, right in a crucial heat, it would break and my Marblehead got a DNF!
I now use 1/16" elastic cord to keep tension on my drum winch sheet line. It is stronger, lasts longer and more reliable. What more can one ask for? One sixteenth inch elastic cord can be found at most sewing shops and the cost is around 15 cents per foot!
So if you use a drum winch, look into it and save yourself some troubles!