I think it would be insightful if we could hear from the two sailors involved and ask the question, "Knowing what you know now, would you make the same decision again to sail off that beach in similar conditions?"

Many of us have found ourselves in situations where we suddenly realize that we're in over our heads. We all make bad decisions from time to time. Hopefully we learn from the experience. "That which doesn't kill us makes us stronger." Surviving the consequences of a bad decision or two should provide the learning and wisdom that help with decisions later down the road. Additionally, we can learn from others.

In essence, what I'm hearing from many in this thread is the advice that we should learn from others' mistakes. There have also been many helpful tips about how we can reduce the risk while sailing (or not sailing) in high wind conditions - allowing thrill seekers the chance to experience "survival" sailing without putting others at risk.

Once more, the question, would they do it again?