Penalties – Don’t Tack or Gybe

Groupama Team France and Emirates Team New Zealand both got penalties in Race 5 in Fukuoka after tangling with Land Rover BAR. Team France completed a gybe before the penalty was assigned. Inexplicably, the Kiwis tacked while carrying the penalty, earning a second penalty (per Rule 44.4(c) for you rules mavens. Download the Racing Rules of Sailing – America’s Cup Edition here). Click the photos to see the video. Interestingly, ETNZ made the same mistake in the Naples AC World Series in 2013, after getting a penalty for crashing into Luna Rossa. Read about that incident here.

Remember: the blue light means a boat has a penalty; the green light means they are near a course boundary or a rounding mark.

Here we see how Team France picked up a penalty for not keeping clear and making contact with BAR near the leeward gate in Race 5.

Team New Zealand had a double penalty in Race 5.