Should the crew attempt to recover the rig aboard, or cut it away? The mast is a £15,000 alloy spar. Force 6. Night in 2 hours.

A. The crew must recover all components — leaving the rig in the sea is a hazard to navigation

B. The rig should be towed behind the vessel — it will stabilise the boat in rough seas

C. Cut the rig away if it is endangering the hull or blocking the propeller — hull integrity and propulsion are worth more than £15,000 of spar. If the rig can be controlled alongside without threatening the hull, a partial recovery to deck is possible. With night approaching and Force 6, a clean cut and clear vessel is preferable to managing a 15m spar in the dark in rough seas

D. Only the boom should be cut away — the mast has sufficient value to warrant recovery in all conditions

A. Action 1: call "MAST DOWN — ALL HANDS — GET CLEAR" immediately — crew clear of falling rig (mast, boom, and rigging wires striking crew is the primary injury risk). Action 2: put helm hard over to head into wind (reduces apparent wind loading on the collapsing rig). Then immediately: engine start, assess crew safety, assess hull damage

B. Action 1: try to grab the falling mast to control it. Action 2: bear away to reduce speed

C. Action 1: start the engine. Action 2: deploy the liferaft

D. Call Mayday immediately on Ch16 — then address the rig

A. The main danger is that the sails will continue to fill — the rig should be re-raised immediately

B. The rig in the water is stable — it reduces rolling and can be left while the Mayday is transmitted

C. The only danger is to other vessels — the rig is a collision hazard and must be lit with a flare

D. Danger 1: the rig acts as a sea anchor — it will pull the vessel beam-on to the seas and risk capsizing or swamping. The mast can also hole the hull where it contacts the topsides. Danger 2: the rig entangles the propeller — if the engine is engaged before clearing or securing the rig, the shaft may be fouled or bent, removing propulsion entirely