After an intense finish to the Singapore SailGP event over the weekend, the New Zealand Team got a little more action than they bargained for with their boat struck by lightning on its way back to shore.
Officials confirmed this morning the New Zealand F50, named Amokura, is currently undergoing damage assessments after the top of the 29m wing was struck by lightning shortly after the Singapore Sail Grand Prix ended on Sunday.
Skipper Peter Burling and the Kiwi side had won the event after rebounding from a pre-regatta penalty and were on shore to pick up the winners' trophy for their efforts, leaving sailors from other nations to help transport Amokura back to shore - a tradition of SailGP.
In the Kiwis' place, Switzerland driver Sebastien Schneiter, France strategist Manon Audinet and Denmark grinders Luke Payne and Martin Kirketerp were on board helping to transport Amokura as lightning was first spotted at the nearby race village, prompting officials to evacuate spectators.
However such precautions couldn't help the sailors with Kirketerp, who was touching a shroud at the time, feeling the lightning strike "go all the way through my arm and into my torso and body - it felt like static".
Luckily, the charge "declined" and "within a few seconds", Kirketerp said felt like his body was "under control again".
He was immediately evacuated for medical assistance and underwent tests, which all came back clear, and was discharged from hospital after a night under observation.
"I could walk and I felt clear in my head, but I was also very stunned," he said, "even as I was getting onto the chase boat, I was feeling so much better and getting the feeling back in my hand."
Schneiter, Audinet and Payne, who were not injured, were evacuated from the F50 and did not return to Amokura until after the storm had passed.
“The whole boat shut off," Schneiter, who was driving the boat at the time, said.
"The wing exploded at the top and we all felt a little shock - unfortunately Martin had a bigger one."
The New Zealand team's co-CEOs Burling and Blair Tuke said the team was thankful no one was seriously hurt.
"Thankfully the other sailors who were sailing the boat at the time were okay. It’s very scary but the main thing is that everything is okay and all of this [the damage] will be able to be fixed," Tuke said.
"Martin is definitely the biggest priority out of this and we're all pretty pleased that he is okay and is giving us the thumbs up from hospital," Burling added.
Attention now turns to the condition of Amokura, which tech team director Brad Marsh said has taken "a lot of damage" with "all electrical systems going down".
Assessments are underway but the extent of the damage remains unknown and, with just a month to go, the tech team could face a race against time to get the boat repaired in time for the Australia Sail Grand Prix from February 18-19.
"Of course we’ve been through similar situations in the past and have had to be very creative to get a boat back on the racetrack, but every effort will be made to make sure New Zealand can be there in Sydney," Marsh said.
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