Top golfer Nick Faldo might decide to stick to driving off the tees rather than taking to the high seas after yesterday?s Pro Am Regatta in Hamilton Harbour.

Aboard , skippered by Americas Cup winner Russell Coutts, Faldo and Governor Sir John Vereker got a bit more action than they anticipated when they received a crunching blow from with Australian James Spithill at the helm. The latter apparently had the right of way as he was on starboard.

Coutts and crew promptly docked the damaged International One Design (IOD), jumped onto another vessel and ventured back to the competition which is the corporate highlight of the ongoing King Edward VII Gold Cup.

Luckily, was not too beaten up from the crash, only suffering a broken shroud and toerail on the bow. However, not long after, all boats returned to the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club as another IOD, piloted by 2003 Gold Cup champion Peter Gilmour, snapped its mast.

Officials dared not risk further damage to the boats in the afternoon?s sturdy winds as the same craft are needed for the Gold Cup which resumes with today?s quarter-finals.

Coutts and company joked about their earlier mishap as they came ashore.

?It was certainly more exciting than a golfing pro am,? declared former Masters and British Open champion Faldo, who is renting a house on the Island.

Asked if he was at the helm at the time of the accident, he chuckled and replied: ?Possibly ? there may have been confusion.?

Sir John was equally light-hearted about the incident and didn?t duck from blame either, though teasing it could be placed elsewhere.

?It could have been my fault. Maybe I could have been looking under the sail but, on our boat, we?re inclined to blame the other boat,? he said smiling.

The Governor lamented that the event had to be called off but said it was understandable the boats could not be risked ?in the hands of us amateurs?.

Spithill, who along with Coutts vies for a Gold Cup semi-final berth today, said: ?Russell and I weren?t watching and we crashed. At least we were on starboard but it was both of our faults, just a bit of a mistake.?

On Wednesday, Faldo had expressed an interest in coming to grips with sailing?s finer points when he bumped into Coutts at RBYC. The two had previously played golf together and Coutts immediately invited Faldo to the Pro Am.

?Sailing is something I?ve always wanted to learn,? said Faldo. ?And there?s probably no better place to do it than Bermuda and probably no better person to teach me than Russell.?