Tom Slingsby’s Australia has slipped down the Season 4 leaderboard after picking up a devastating penalty for hitting a race mark in Christchurch.
The incident occurred on the first leg of the first fleet race as the Australians took last minute action to avoid hitting Canada. However, the sharp turn saw the Aussies collide with a race mark instead, sustaining major damage to their F50 in the process.
The dramatic incident saw the Aussies break Rule 57, earning them a devastating 10 point penalty to their event score and an 8 point deduction to their Season 4 ranking.
The damage sustained also meant Tom Slingsby’s team was unable to compete for the rest of the day – leaving them with just one event point.
Peter Burling’s New Zealand – which claimed the ultimate win in Christchurch – now takes the top spot on the season leaderboard, while the Aussies slip into second.
