by Liz Wray
photo of the crash by Bert Cocu [email protected]
Update: reports indicate that Cambridge bowman Wayne Pommen, 23, suffered a 'push-back' injury to his left wrist. He has suspected strained tendons and has gone to hospital for a precautionary x-ray.
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Bad news for the Cambridge blue boat crew, as their cox managed to steer their boat, at race pace, into the Harbour master, infront of the watching world media earlier this afternoon.
Cambridge were practicing starts off the stake boats as the Harbour Master boat appeared towing another boat. Although witnesses confirm that a coaches launch was with the boat at the time and was shouting at for them to stop, it appears that cox Jim Omartian simply didn't hear the shouts or see the oncoming craft.
The boat was impacted on starboard smacking the bowman against the hull and ejecting him from the crew, 3's rigger was also damaged and his blade was totally shattered. The bowman, Wayne Pommen, who is believed to have an injured arm was picked up by the launch. The crew were then given a replacement blade so they could get back to dry land.
The extent of the damage to the boat is not clear at the time of writing but it looks like it may have a broken shoulder as a result.