Tokyo2020: Two 49er crews disqualified from two races after spot measurement check

Tokyo2020 - Day 4 - July, 28, - Enoshima, Japan. 49er - Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (NZL) © Richard Gladwell - Sail-World.com / nz

Two crews sailing in the 49er class were disqualified last night, after being found to have trapeze belts that were slightly over the allowed weight.

The irregularity was picked up in a spot measurement check conducted on the whole 49er fleet after racing yesterday.

One of the crews, Marco Grael is a member of the Brazilian "Royal Family" of sailing, whose father Torben is a five times Olympic medal winner. Sister Martine Grael is defending Olympic champion in the womens 49er FX class.

Grael along with crew Gabriel Borges, lost their race win from yesterdays second race, handing New Zealand's Peter Burling and Blair Tuke their first win of the series, in which six races have been sailed. It didn't immediately improve their position on the leaderboard for the series.

A second crew from Ireland, Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove, who won the first 49er race of the regatta were also disqualified from both races yesterday costing them second and sixth place finishes.

The trapeze belts were weighed in wet condition as prescribed by the rules, and then allowed to drain for a minute. Dickson's harness weighed 2.09kg and the Borges 2.30kg.

The crews are allowed to rearrange the items to try and make the required weight.

When a class or racing rule is found to have been infringed, a Disqualification is the only penalty available to the International Jury.