A zoologist says Sir Russell Coutts has a simple view of dolphins and boats.

Yesterday's SailGP racing was called off after a Hector's dolphin was spotted on the course.

Sir Russell then said the event is handcuffed by unprecedented layers of bureaucracy and red tape.

He also claimed that dolphins are extremely intelligent and inherently aware of boats around them.

Otago University's professor Liz Slooten says dolphins love to bowride alongside boats, but not at the speed of SailGP boats.

"It's kind of like saying children are inherently aware of cars and trucks, therefore there is never going to be a situation where a child's going to be hit by a truck, the child would just naturally get out of the way."

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