After a thrilling series offering plenty of upsets, New Zealand emerged victorious at the Indigo ISAF World Team Racing Championship at Dun Laoghaire on Saturday evening. The final with United States 2 went the full five races which was won 3-2 by the American side. However, an Umpire's protest against the winner saw the result reversed in the Kiwis' favour and the world title move to its third continent in as many championships.
In the quarter-final sail-offs Ireland lost its deciding third race narrowly to New Zealand. Having held the race for most of the course, the home side was defeated by mere feet on the finishing-line. Reigning world champions United States 1 were also defeated by their second team in one of the shocks of the championship.
Later, the other pre-event favourite, Britain 1 lost in the semi-final to the peaking New Zealand team. The Umpire's Protest that decided the championship took place within minutes of the finishing-line. The fleet were rounding the final leeward mark before the finishing-line.
New Zealand had been leading, mainly thanks to an "On Course Side" penalty for one of the USA 2 boats. Approaching the leeward mark, the second Kiwi crew called for an Umpire's ruling. The protest was upheld by the Umpire obliging the USA 2 boat to complete a 720 degree turn. The two boats carried on rounding the mark with the American first going hard on the wind, then tacking off to meet the final Kiwi boat and bearing away to apparently slow the rival boat or commence its penalty turns.
Immediately, the Umpire Boat rushed in with Chief Umpire John Doerr waving a Black Flag at the American and cited them for not carrying out the turns in good time. The entire incident took less than two minutes.
