Your kids' odds of dying are higher on Seward highway too if they're in your car.  Especially if a rogue semi runs over you.  So are you being irresponsible having them in the car with you?  What do you prefer?  That kids be kept safe and warm in front of a TV with a video game console close at hand?  Sailboats sail all over the world, many thousands of them out there right now, and capsizes and drownings are extremely rare.  The people that take this on generally understand the risks very well and take many precautions.  Given that these guys have sailed 100,000 miles, we can assume they understand them too. 

Yeah, it's a risk.  But on the other hand, odds are very good that those kids are going to grow up to be amazing people.  Time will tell if the risk has been worth it.  And the parents have the prerogative to make that decision.