Ben Ainslie disqualified after ugly encounter with media boat at Perth 2011

Three-times Olympic champion Ben Ainslie is known as a gentleman off the water and a fierce competitor on it. The latter half of the reputation was enhanced today at Perth 2011 when the British sailor was photographed engaging in a heated remonstration with the crew of a media boat.

Ainslie was following Dutchman Pieter-Jan Postma to the finish line on the Centre Course in Fremantle during the 9th race of the Finn qualfying series. It was clear that Postma was going to win and that Ainslie would be a comfortable second, when a TV boat encroached on the course, driving between the two sailors and creating a bow wave that interfered with the race.

Eye witnesses reported that the bow wave allowed Postma to surf across the line, but hit Ainslie at a different angle and almost swamped his boat.

Photographs show that after crossing the line in second place, Ainslie immediately poked his Finn up into the wind, dived off and swam to the media boat. He climbed aboard and was seen to remonstrate with the crew, including what appeared to be pushing the driver and a cameraman, before jumping off, swimming back to his Finn and sailing away.

You can see the photographs, by Danish photographer Mick Anderson at http://sailingpix.photoshelter.com/gallery/Ben-Ainslie-confronts-skipper-and-photographer-at-World-Champs/G0000uXhrsGqrj50

The race committee referred the matter to the international jury who, after considering evidence from Ainslie and the crew of the boat, ruled that Ainslie would be disqualified from both of today's races. This dropped him from first place on 19 points to eight place on 56 points and has cost him any chance of a medal. 

In a statement after the decision was made, the GBR team manager said that the decision of the jury was that there was no dispute about the facts but they felt the actions constitute a physical aggression and a gross misconduct and that this brings the sport into disrepute.

He said that the team was very disappointed with the decision because everyone who spoke at the hearing said exactly the same thing; that there was fault on both sides and that both parties had apologised to each other.

Ainslie spoke briefly, saying he was disappointed with the decision which he felt was a massive over-reaction to the incident.

"Certainly I over-reacted to a situation where I thought my performance was severely hindered. (But) I'm really sorry the jury decided to react the way they did," he said.

Ainslie said he was very pleased with the way he had been sailing in conditions that really suited heavier sailors than him, and in fact he thought it was one of the best regattas of his life. He concluded by acknowledging that he now had no chance of a medal but would go out for the medal race and he hoped that it was one of his British teammates who would stand on the top of the podium.

It was subsequently revealed that the decision was that Ainslie would be scored DGM (disqualified for gross misconduct) in both races 9 and 10, meaning that those scores could not be discarded. This means Ainslie misses the medal race, with Ivan Gaspic of Croatia moving up from 11th position.

Ainslie has already been selected to represent GBR in the Finn at Weymouth in July/August 2012. 

- Roger McMillan in Fremantle