Interesting comment, but his credibility with me went out the window when he said:

"The conditions we have been sailing in since French Polynesia have been such that NO autopilot in the world could cope with it---especially these last several passages---
No trying to be funny-- "

How does he think Open 60's sail AROUND THE WORLD solo? Is he suggesting that the conditions around FP are worse than the Southern Ocean? It doesn't add up.

Based on the comment, I can only assume that he doesn't know what a GOOD autopilot is capable of. For myself, having sailed with two common wind vanes and a bunch of different autopilots there is no question a GOOD autopilot can steer circles around a bad autopilot and a wind vane, particularly in rough conditions.

I'm in no way suggesting above that wind vanes aren't a good thing to have, and aren't quite capable, but I do disagree that some autopilots aren't plenty capable of steering a boat better than a vane in rough conditions.

Perhaps autopilot is too general a term. Tillerpilot? Above decks? Below decks? Hydraulic? Gyro-compass?