"I felt I was having a fairly good run,” Hall said. “I might have skipped twice on the water. It’s a very disappointing result for me. It’s the motor racing equivalent of touching the wall.
I agree with the comparison, but the wall is usually a concrete deflector - they were changed over the years so they didn't grab the car.
It does seem like exuberance is growing in this sport, which really hasn't had a bad safety record to date IMO, and the best way to bring things back from the brink is to have experienced Stewards to counsell the pilots.