I've gone off a boat twice. Neither time did I get separated AFTER a capsize.

The First, sailng with Dean Pakune, in Galveston Bay. The harness hook on my old prindle harhess had opened up enough over the years, and while double trapped, I went off while skippering upwind.

Wouter,
I HAD hold of the mainsheet, and I guarantee your grip is no stronger than mine. When I hit the water I basicallty stopped, the boat keept going, flying a hull, but now only Dean was trapped, looking back with a shocked look on his face. He leaned back as I held on for a split second, which even sheeted it in further, and it ripped out of my hand, (deathgrip). It slowly capsized, and I swam back to it, it was not nuclear conditions.

The second, I was crewing in the 2007 Great Tx 300. It was fairly nuclear at the time, kite up going about 17-20. I went to trap out, and although I thought I was hooked in, even gave it a tug, I went in the water and quickly away from the boat doing nearly 20. Luckily, Corey drove down, got the kite down, and turned back towards me. He was several hundred meters off and I had to swim to the area where he was going while pinching it up slow.

If I would have been tethered then, I probably could have 'barefooted ;-), while Corey drove.


The times I've done GT300, although they require a 'tether' to be onboard, I don't remember using it.

As has been said, by Chris and others, unclipping a 'quick' release under a big load, would prove to be nearly impossible.