Olympic sailing: Another accident with foils: Danish Nacra sailor injured

Following an accident with his Nacra17 at the Oceanbridge NZL Sailing Regatta in New Zealand, Danish Olympic sailor Christian Peter Lübeck had to be hospitalised and operated on after receiving rapid assistance from other sailors and coach Coen de Koning. This was confirmed late on Sunday evening by Marcus Spillane, President of the International Nacra17 Class Association.

A short press release stated that "CP" Lübeck - the foreskipper of helmswoman Lin Ea Cenholt - had gone overboard and been hit by a foil of the Olympic mixed catamaran. It was also confirmed that the injury had necessitated an operation, but that Lübeck was already on the road to recovery and wanted to return to racing as soon as possible. The class association has already contacted the World Sailing Association and manufacturer Nacra and announced a thorough investigation into the facts. "This is a priority for the class," says Marcus Spillane.

The Danish sailing online service minbaad.dk reported in the evening that a break in the harness hook had caused foresailor Lübeck to go overboard. The foil hit him on the left leg and caused a major wound. Lübeck had taken part in the 2016 Olympic regatta off Rio de Janeiro with Jonas Warrer in the 49er, but then decided to switch to the Nacra17.

The incident will once again fuel the debate about the safety of sailors on boats with foils. Just under six months ago, top American sailor Bora Gulari lost all or part of three fingers in an accident with his Nacra17. At that time, however, the investigation into the case revealed that Gulari had not been injured due to a collision with a foil after being catapulted overboard as a result of a "plug", but that his fingers had become caught in the glove in the traveller line.

At the end of November 2015, French helmsman Franck Cammas had a serious accident on a GC32 catamaran. The Volvo Ocean Race winner and America's Cup helmsman was at the helm of one of two training boats in the Bay of Quiberon when he went overboard and a foil almost tore off his right foot. Cammas underwent immediate surgery and has since made a full recovery. A particularly sad accident involving foils had previously occurred in June 2015 off Lorient, where a woman on board one of the Volvo Ocean Race marshal boats lost a leg as a result of a collision with the foil of the 40-metre trimaran "Spindrift 2", which was not participating in the Volvo Ocean Race.