There is a long history of breaking wave capsize of small boats. Accurate and detailed descriptions of many of the events are available in the literature. The greatest number in a single storm occurred in the 1979 Fastnet Race in which 24 boats were sunk or abandoned and 15 lives were lost.
Small boats are much more vulnerable than large boats.
There are relatively few instances of a vessel over 60 feet being capsized by a breaking wave. In the Fastnet Race where the boats ranged in size from 30 feet to 80 feet, all the capsizes were suffered by boats under 45 feet. It does not take a so-called rogue wave to cause capsize. In the Fastnet storm, the 30-foot yacht, Grimalkin, running under bare poles, broached and rolled the mast in the water six times before finally capsizing in the 7th roll. Later she capsized again before being abandoned and ultimately sinking.