On Sun, 23 Nov 2008 16:15:18 +0100, "Edgar"
wrote:

I heard a guy ask if anyone had a knife and I saw him sawing away
at the rope that was holding in the mainsail shortly afterwards. It did not
seem to be the mainsheet.

I missed that. Maybe they had a boom preventer rigged and either
forgot to release it, or gybed accidently as part of a roll and broach
situation.