In their first major regatta since winning silver at the Paris Olympics, McHardie and McKenzie were well in contention to advance before an untimely capsize ended their challenge.
The pair started the race in sixth overall, needing to climb into the top four to qualify for the winner-takes-all final.
"With the points reasonably close ahead of the top-20 race, we could move forward, but we could also move back," McKenzie said.
"Our plan was to just go out there, try and win the race rather than target certain boats. We just wanted to do the best we could and hope the two boats in front of us were at least six points back."
The new format, trialled for the first time at this event, meant the four leading boats after the top-20 race advanced to a final, where the first to cross the finish line would take gold — regardless of their ranking throughout the week.
Designed to heighten spectator appeal, it replaces the previous double-points medal race that often rewarded consistency over the regatta.
The Kiwis started strongly from the pin end in the top-20 race, but a general recall forced a restart. Their second attempt was less clean, and after working the right side of the course, they missed an early wind shift that left them chasing the leaders.
McHardie and McKenzie fought back to second at one point before bad luck struck.
"We were still in the game coming into the port lay at the top out of a tack, but unfortunately I dropped the tiller extension, and we ended up capsizing," McHardie said.
They finished outside the top 10, slipping to seventh overall.
It was a valuable week not just for McHardie and McKenzie, but also for the other Kiwi crews.
European champions Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush were the only other New Zealand team to make the gold fleet, finishing two places short of the top-20 cut.
New partnership Mattias Coutts and Oscar Gunn claimed second in the silver fleet and 27th overall, while Sam Bacon and Blake McGlashan were 39th. Francesco Kayrouz and Hamish McLaren topped the bronze fleet, finishing 56th overall.
— Allied Media
