Ireland's Robert Dickson (HYC) and Sean Waddilove (SSC) have been disqualified from race six of the Paris Olympics men's 49er skiff regatta this evening (July 29) after an international jury found the Irish (IRL) boat infringed the Spanish (ESP) rival at the first upwind mark.
Following the penalty, Ireland stays in second place and drops one point overall. Crucially, however, the Irish duo have now used their discard at the halfway point of the regatta, meaning any further slips could have consequences for medal prospects.
While insiders say this is 'not a disaster', the Irish camp will urge the pair to be careful in the remaining races and avoid being targeted by key opponents.
The incident occurred at the first upwind mark of race 6, with ESP coming in on the starboard layline. IRL tacked inside the zone and ESP had to sail above closed hauled to avoid contact.
The conditions at the time of the incident were 5 knots of wind and flat water.
In the protest room, the jury found the following facts;
Approaching mark 1, ESP was sailing on starboard tack above the starboard layline, slightly below close-hauled.
IRL was sailing on port tack, lower than close-hauled, 2 boat-lengths below the port layline.
When IRL was 2.5 boat-lengths away from the mark, IRL tacked onto starboard tack, on the layline, and slowed down.
ESP was then clear astern of IRL and sailing faster than IRL. When ESP was 1m astern of IRL, she luffed above close-hauled and became overlapped 0.5m to windward of IRL.
There was no contact and no injury. Neither boat took a penalty.
The international jury concluded that after IRL passed head to wind from port to starboard tack inside the zone and was then fetching the mark, she caused ESP on starboard tack since entering the zone, to sail above close-hauled to avoid contact. IRL broke RRS 18.3.
The jury disqualified IRL from race six.
Download the case decision below