Two of the drivers caught up in Christchurch’s crash-filled racing have blamed the incidents on a lack of on-water practice.
Speaking at a pre-event press conference in Bermuda, Australia driver Tom Slingsby unpacked the incidents, arguing the Australian team was ‘hampered’ by limited on-water training time.
![Season 4 // Tom Slingsby with Giles Scott at Bermuda press conference](http://images.ctfassets.net/2lppn7hwgzta/2QOxlO16ZTJBm3ZG6qpDwW/38126b988d57a7fc8fdbe9d05c820f23/BB500244.jpg)
The first day of racing was cancelled completely due to a dolphin on the racecourse, resulting a shortened race schedule. When racing did start, the incidents unfolded in quick succession with ROCKWOOL DEN hitting Canada in the pre-start of the first fleet race.
Canada then rebounded to hit the United States then, shortly after rounding Mark 1, Australia collided with a race mark, causing significant damage to its F50.
ROCKWOOL DEN and Australia were both handed devastating penalties for the incidents, with the Danish docked 4 season points and Aussies docked 8.
Reflecting on the incident, Slingsby said: “We hit the start line with no practice and had three crashes in 40 seconds.”
![Season 4 // Nicolai Sehested at Bermuda press conference](http://images.ctfassets.net/2lppn7hwgzta/6CE764gRRkx6ZST5q5u9zP/a1efe7f7bd528ac1be97e3224a1737ae/KC2_1871.jpg)
Danish driver Nicolai Sehested agreed that restricted training was to blame.
“We didn’t have ideal preparation as a team - we didn’t get any racing on Saturday or a good warm up - it was just straight into racing with all teams trying to win the races,” he said.
“If you put a Formula 1 car on the start grid without warm up laps, I’m pretty sure you’ll have issues at the first corner and I think that’s really what you saw in New Zealand.”
![Season 4 // Canada with Christchurch fleet on practice day](http://images.ctfassets.net/2lppn7hwgzta/5g92Xtb2TWFKno70R2bTbM/fae483ed04edc9593641a838ad598559/FD2_2538.jpg)
Slingsby added that only by giving teams more on-water training time could the league increase the size of the F50 fleet.
“I don’t think 10 (teams) is too many - we could go to a couple more,” he said. “If we get more practice, we can increase the number of boats and race effectively on the water.”
Slingsby said the Australian team - which took the event win at Season 3’s Bermuda event - is ‘looking forward’ to bouncing back when racing gets underway in Bermuda this weekend. “We're just going to move on and get a great position here.”
Racing in Bermuda begins at 2pm ADT on May 4/5.