Bonjour Luc:

It all comes down to Rob's original design specifications - is the specific Harryproa design in question requiring the ability to sustain 70+ knot winds while carrying a triple reef and storm staysail?  If it is within Rob's specifications, then Etamax's design should be able to handle the stress.

In reality though, nature has no regard for paperwork and math.  Manufacturing processes often produce results that are less than optimal.  Money, schedules and time often affect a professional captain's decision making process and risks are assumed.  In the Gunboat incident, ultimate responsibility lies with the captain of the boat who was making decisions that resulted in being under reefed sail 200 miles offshore in the conditions encountered.  Being there was a conscious decision, as was being under sail and not under sea anchor/drogue holding station or motoring with no sail up.

I'm glad all parties aboard the Gunboat are safe and uninjured.  I'm sad such a great boat has been damaged.  Richard Woods (Multihull designer, Engineer, and Naval Architect) has written on this topic that no one who has not had to make the decision to abandon a boat is qualified to have an opinion on the situation - and after reading Richard's account of his own storm-driven abandonment of one of his own designs I would agree with his assessment.

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Bill

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