Darryl,
Thanks for correcting my post.
What I had heard was from people involved in the race. And that was quite a while ago, perhaps before the reports were issued.
The island is certainly rocky, and steep enough that you might hit the bow before the keel, but its still hard to picture all 5 adult males being disabled to the extent that they couldn't grab a life jacket or cushion and float clear. The waves would make it difficult to haul yourself out, especially at night, but the water is warm enough that you could stand off if you had to, at least until morning. Shipwrecks in much, much worse conditions have had survivors. Maybe the cabin was ripped open enough to flood quickly, but not allow them a way out. Maybe the mast, boom, or sails were blocking their way out. Maybe thats when they reached for the Spot's 911 button.
Mike Koerner