Australian Skipper Dunked, Spain Wins Elliott 6m Women Sailing Gold at London Olympics 2012

Spain’s sailors won the Olympic gold medal in women’s match racing Saturday, thanks in part to a boat-handling error by Australia that swept its skipper into the water.
With the best-of-5 match tied at 1, the boats were sailing nearly side-by-side downwind in the third race in big waves on Weymouth Bay when the Australian crew lost control and its boat rolled on its side. Skipper Olivia Price was swept out of the back of the boat and her crew had to pick her up before continuing.

Spain won that race by 1 minute, 1 second, but the 20-year-old Price and her crew won the fourth race to force a deciding match.

In another mistake, Price was assessed a penalty in Race 5 for a right-of-way violation and Spain sailed ahead to win the gold, leaving the Australians.

The most dramatic moment came in the third race.

The Australian boat became overpowered sailing downwind, its spinnaker wrapped around the forestay and the boat broached. Price disappeared into a wave and Curtis and Whitty not only had to get the boat under control, but slow down to pick up their skipper, who began swimming toward the boat.

After tying the match 2-2, the Australians made another mistake in the final race.