"Stand Aside" Skipper Syd-Hob 1998

[s76640]

In a documentary about the 1998 Sydney-to-Hobart classic, Stand Aside was shown as she was knocked down and lost her mast. When a rescue chopper was able to make it to the boat's location, the skipper was rescued first. That seems to fly in the face of everything I've learned about rescues. I was taught that the skipper is the last crew member rescued because he or she is responsible for the other crew members and, until they're safe, the skipper has to do everything possible to save them before looking to himself.

Can anyone cast some light on the Stand Aside's skipper and why he was rescued first, or perhaps on my misunderstanding of the skipper's responsibility?

Steve