The Black Foils have been ruled out of racing on the second day of the Oracle Perth Sail Grand Prix presented by KPMG after sustaining damage during a collision with Switzerland in the opening race of the event.
The incident saw the Swiss boat strike the port stern of the New Zealand F50, putting both teams out of action for the remainder of the day's racing. No injuries were reported on either vessel.
Beyond missing a full day on the water, the Black Foils have been issued a seven-point penalty for the event, translating to a three-point deduction from their season tally. The original penalty stood at eight points before being reduced following an appeal lodged by the team.
Black Foils Co-CEO and Driver Peter Burling said that the absence of injuries was the priority above all else.
"It's obviously concerning every time there is a collision or contact in the fleet and I am certainly glad everyone is alright. The impact was about a metre away from me and it left me pretty shaken. I am also concerned that the penalty decision sets a worrying precedent for the season and the safety of the fleet. We did everything we could to keep clear and I am not sure what else we could have done in the situation. It's frustrating to have an incident like this but we just have to review from here and see what the situation is with the repairs."
Burling said the team viewed the incident differently to the umpires and had pursued the appeal on that basis, though he acknowledged the decision now had to be accepted.
"We obviously saw the incident a different way to the Umpires so made an appeal and disagree with the subsequent outcome. They have made their decision and we have to deal with it now, but believe it sets a concerning precedent for the season. As we do with everything as a team we will reflect and review things but it's certainly not the outcome we'd hoped for. It's important now that we come together and use our time together here productively before Auckland."
The damage has left the F50 without a transom, ruling the team out of day two. Burling was direct about the situation.
"Everyone has seen the extent of the damage - there is no transom on our boat - it means no racing for us tomorrow - will just have to see how quickly the league can rebuild the boat and see what the situation will be going forward."
Burling added that the team would work hard with SailGP to get the F50 back on the water as soon as possible. Repair work is set to continue tomorrow, with attention already turning to next month's ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix in Auckland.
