The five P's: Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance.

Having an engine that works is a good idea.
Having extra crew is a good idea.
Wearing a lifejacket is a good idea.
Having a reliable means of communication is a good idea.
Making sure your equipement works is a good idea.

The bottom line is treat your boat like an airplane. Everything
should work, or you should be heading back to the dock if
you can't make repairs safely.

Roller furling is a great idea. This fellow should have struck
the jib instead of trying to furl it when they were overpowered.
Or he could have reefed the main prior to trying to fix the furling line.

The guy was a poor skipper and died because of his lack of
skill and intelligence.