5 US sailing team members go flying overboard as boat capsizes

A wild scene unfolded during the third fleet race of a practice day at the Apex Group Bermuda Sail Grand Prix this past Friday as members of Team USA went flying out of their boat after it capsized.

As the boat reached Mark 1, the top wing of the U.S. boat was inverted, which caused it to suddenly flip over.

Five of the six crew members on the boat for the U.S. team were sent overboard, though no serious injuries were sustained.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

The SailGP U.S. team and driver Taylor Canfield compete during day 2 of racing in Sydney on Feb. 25, 2024. (Andy Cheung/Getty Images)

It was determined that there was “user error” that caused the boat to capsize, according to data from the United States’ F50 boat. Wing trimmer Victor Diaz de Leon had pressed a button, which inverted the wing by accident.

Diaz de Leon was attempting to flatten the wing, but he simply pushed the wrong button to do so. The button had been pressed a total of seven times, SailGP’s data team found.

FIRST AMERICAN WOMAN TO RACE SAILBOAT ALONE NONSTOP AROUND WORLD HOPES TO INSPIRE OTHER GIRLS TO SAIL

“While operating the wing, I chose the wrong function on my control panel, which caused our boat to flip. It was very scary, and I’m thankful all my teammates are safe,” Diaz de Leon said, per SailGP.com.

Team USA, helmed by Taylor Canfield, compete during SailGP on March 24, 2024, in Christchurch, New Zealand. (Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images)

While no serious injuries occurred for the team, the United States was unable to race in Bermuda due to the significant damage their F50 took from the capsizing.

The team couldn’t repair the boat in time for official racing.

Taylor Canfield’s United States squad currently ranks seventh out of 10 squads in season 4 of SailGP this season.

The crew of the U.S. team gets thrown overboard as their boat capsizes during a practice round. (SailGP)

They own 49 points, while the leaders, Peter Burling’s New Zealand squad, have 77 points on the year.

Follow Fox News Digital’ssports coverage on X and subscribe tothe Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Check Also

Arch Manning named Texas' starting QB, coach Steve Sarkisian announces

Texas football head coach Steve Sarkisian named highly touted sophomore Arch Manning as the starter …

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *