Estimated reconnection rate calculated using Eq. (20). In the left hand panel, we show the effects of field line length using simulations with l = 100 Mm (black), l = 80 Mm (red) and l = 40 Mm (blue). In the right hand panel, we show the effects of shear in the background field using the simulations with α = 0 (no shear; black), α = 0.05 (low shear; red) and α = 0.2 (high shear; blue). Here we have normalised the rates by the maximum of the 100 Mm, α = 0 case (black line).