Tiger Trophy

"Along with a couple of hundred spectators, Chris Henderson and I were greatly entertained. The biggest source of interest was watching a capsized RS300 drift past where we were standing with nobody in it...and an International Canoe which slowly sank 200m offshore. It was like watching Jaws, with the bloke trying to keep out of the water…"

Takes from the Musto Skiff report on the Tiger, unfortunately the 300 was mine and the Canoe was my mates!

Tom, cavitation is not where "The process where a void or bubble in a liquid rapidly collapses, producing a shock wave" When a civitation bubble collapses it does implode and create a shock wave as a result. 

The cavitation it's self is caused by the pressure drop in the fluid being so great that the fluid boils and creates a bubble of very low pressure gas.  It is an extreame case of the way that water boils at less than 100 degrees at the top of mountains because the surrounding air pressure (and hence the liquid) is so low.  This is the cavitation bubble, but as the surrounding pressure increases and the bubble collapses, imploding and thus creating a high pressure shock wave as it dissapears, this is what creats the pitting on propeller blades among other things.  sorry for the long winded answer but having spent a long time researching the subject i don't like to see people getting it wrong, enjoy.