The SailGP fleet is counting the cost of the roughest conditions the defending champion skipper has ever witnessed, with a knee injury, facial stitches and broken boat already reported in Perth.
And racing has not even begun.
Australia's star signing Iain Jensen is racing the clock as the high-speed sailing league begins its sixth season with a first visit to Perth this weekend.
Wing trimmer Jensen required scans after falling during Thursday's practice session on Fremantle Harbour and injuring his left knee.
Glenn Ashby is on stand-by should Jensen miss what would be his first races under the Australian flag since an Olympic career that included a gold medal win in 2012.
Skipper Tom Slingsby spent Friday morning consulting with Jensen, who joined the boat after helping Great Britain defeat Australia in November's $2.99m grand final race.
"(Jensen) is really keen to come sailing," Australia grinder Kinley Fowler told AAP in the lead-up to Saturday and Sunday's races.
"It might not land completely on him to make the decision, it might be a bit of us looking forward.
"We're going to Auckland pretty soon and Sydney straight after that so we kind of have to be mindful of the whole season."
Jensen's injury came amid trademark heavy conditions in Perth, where the fleet can expect significant off-shore breeze and rough sea state on the two days of racing.
AAP has been told staff at Royal Perth Hospital were briefed on the possibility of sailing injuries this weekend.
Plans to take media and guests on chase boats during training this week were also abandoned for fear conditions would be too rough.
Tuesday's conditions were particularly heavy.
"It was the loosest, biggest conditions I have ever sailed in a F50 (catamaran)," Great Britain skipper Dylan Fletcher told AAP.
"I'm happy to come in with the boat in one piece and all the sailors in one piece."
Season four champions Spain weren't so lucky.
Diego Botin's F50 suffered major damage to its hull, foils and daggerboard colliding with a wave in heavy winds on Thursday.
Their omission leaves the fleet at 12 starters for the Perth regatta, which is the first of 13 events on the calendar this season.
"These boats are so complicated, there's so much stress through them and just one small failure can have a catastrophic knock-on effect," Artemis skipper Nathan Outteridge told AAP.
Outteridge's Swedish team, new to the circuit this season, have spent the week dealing with a severe facial injury to crew member Chris Draper.
Draper needed his lips stitched together after landing face-first on the boat's trampoline during training on Tuesday.
Draper, who sailed with Australia last season, wore extra facial protection for practice on Thursday and Friday and is expected to race in Perth.
"He's putting on a brave face, I think he's in quite a bit of pain," Outteridge said.
The violent conditions won't scare the Australian boat, fighting to bounce back from defeats in the league's last two grand final races.
"We're just trying to send it," Fowler said.
"We're always thinking about how to go the fastest. We're not really thinking conservatively, I would say. We've had the experience in these boats.
"There's nerves, but there's not fear."
AAP's reporter travelled to Perth as a guest of SailGP
