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Ross Field - Source: ONE Sport -
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A Kiwi Round the World sailor is considering legal action after his boat was forced out of the Global Ocean Race last week.
Team Buckley Systems - manned by New Zealand father-and-son Ross and Campbell Field - were leading the race when a wave damaged the wind instruments on their boat leaving them no option but to pull out of the race.
The third leg began last week in Wellington and goes around Cape Horn to Punte del Este in Uruguay and the Fields had wanted to take a southern route to begin the leg.
However race organisers restricted how far south the boats were allowed to travel by placing a gate which forced them into a headwind and severe conditions causing Buckley Systems to crash off a wave damaging the boat and injuring Ross Field's back.
Field told ONE News that they should have been given the opportunity to travel via their desired route.
"I told them that putting a restriction down south there is a recipe for disaster and it's proved to be that," Ross Field said.
"It's part of the race. No one has ever died from hitting an iceberg but plenty of people have died from being hard on the wind smashing their boats up and being washed over the side."
The second-placed boat Campagne de France also had to pull out and agreed with the Fields.
"The responsibility to go ocean racing lies with the skippers and the sailors on the boats and I feel that we should be free to make that decision ourselves," skipper Miranda Merron said.
Kiwi Conrad Colman on Cessna Citation is now leading the race with his position further advantaged by the organisers moving the gate further south today.
This has caused further anger and disillusion on the South African boat Phesheya Racing who believe they've been punished by 180 miles, giving Ross Field more ammunition.
"We want racing suspended stopped and we want the race to start again in Punte del Este," Field said
"It is a farce. It is absolutely ridiculous, they (race organisers) have lost the plot completely."
The leaders still have 3,700 miles to go before they reach Punte del Este.
