TRC - I know the USCG love the basket winching technique but the fundamental problem is that you have no control over how the survivors get in (they have to be pretty fit and well to enter the basket by themselves, especially from the water or a raft) and, in the case of the mass evacuation from a vessel, how many get in - the same stampede situation ShyTorque was alluding to. If too many get in - then what are you going to do?
I am very much with Lt Fubar on this one - I think the baskets are a liability in anything but good weather and you are better off sending more assets so that simultaneous winching can take place at several locations on the vessel (bow, amidships and stern for example). Then you need another boat to tansfer them to.