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Just a few thoughts from a yachtsman: It seems likely that the Captain wanted to go out, but looking at the early track of the storm as they sailed south, he thought it best to pass southbound well in front of it and find a hole somewhere rather than risk being caught on the north side of it. (always it seems a bad idea, like the time I thought I could cross a shipping lane in front of a tanker - yes I did this)

I suspect also that he counted on auxiliary propulsion to "beat the storm" but that the "lost propulsion" landed them square offshore in the teeth of it.

I am almost certain that they lost electrical, too, i.e. Weatherfax, SSB, etc. which is why the parent company lost them and they may have had insufficient meteorological information.

A ship like that has a lot of resistance topsides and high freeboard, making some kind of drogue or sea-anchor warped off the bow the only option near the end... Not that big a deal, I've done it, but in this case we are dealing with a big sail even with all canvas down. The last option being, of course, to cut away the masts and rigging and pray they don't hole the boat... A practically impossible feat on a boat like that in those conditions.

Finally I imagine the ship was abandoned when the masts began to break, slip their partners or stretch their steps if that is possible, and the seams began to open up.

I also submit they are still feeling the whip of Vice Admiral William Bligh, who may never let Saint Peter look upon their sorry souls.

I now submit these armchair hypotheticals to the stinging criticism of Lord Kenny Bunk, Rear Admiral of the Ocean Seas and Highly Rated in All Conditions by Unfortunate Women in and out of Every Port.