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Olympian Dies in America’s Cup Training After Yacht Flips Olympian Dies in America’s Cup Training After Yacht Flips
(35 minutes later)
Andrew Simpson, a 36-year-old British sailor and Olympic gold medalist, died Thursday after a 72-foot America’s Cup yacht owned by the Swedish team Artemis Racing capsized during training on San Francisco Bay. Andrew Simpson, a 36-year-old British sailor and Olympic gold medalist, died Thursday after a 72-foot America’s Cup yacht owned by the Swedish team Artemis Racing capsized during training in San Francisco Bay.
Artemis, representing the Royal Swedish Yacht Club, is the challenger of record for the 34th America’s Cup, which will begin later this year in San Francisco.Artemis, representing the Royal Swedish Yacht Club, is the challenger of record for the 34th America’s Cup, which will begin later this year in San Francisco.
“The entire Artemis Racing team is devastated by what happened,” Paul Cayard, the veteran American sailor and chief executive of Artemis, said in a statement. “Our heartfelt condolences are with Andrew’s wife and family.”“The entire Artemis Racing team is devastated by what happened,” Paul Cayard, the veteran American sailor and chief executive of Artemis, said in a statement. “Our heartfelt condolences are with Andrew’s wife and family.”
The accident could renew the debate about the new high-speed and high-risk AC72 class of yachts that are being used for this Cup. The accident could renew the debate about the new, high-speed and high-risk AC72 class of yachts that are being used for this Cup.
This was the second major accident involving an AC72 in the last seven months. On Oct. 16, a yacht owned by Oracle Team USA, which represents the Golden Gate Yacht Club, the holder of the Cup, capsized during training in a nearby part of the bay.This was the second major accident involving an AC72 in the last seven months. On Oct. 16, a yacht owned by Oracle Team USA, which represents the Golden Gate Yacht Club, the holder of the Cup, capsized during training in a nearby part of the bay.
Though Oracle’s yacht sustained extensive damage, there were no casualties. But there have been increasing concerns about the stability of these large multihulls, which can achieve speeds exceeding 40 knots and require their crew members to wear crash helmets and other protective gear.Though Oracle’s yacht sustained extensive damage, there were no casualties. But there have been increasing concerns about the stability of these large multihulls, which can achieve speeds exceeding 40 knots and require their crew members to wear crash helmets and other protective gear.
In recent interviews, several crew members and Cup officials have expressed concerns that the yachts are now “overpowered.”In recent interviews, several crew members and Cup officials have expressed concerns that the yachts are now “overpowered.”
“When Oracle crashed, I said, ‘That will not be the only one; this will happen again,’ ” Max Sirena, skipper of America’s Cup challenger Luna Rossa, said in an interview Thursday. “And now it’s happened again. These are dangerous boats.” “When Oracle crashed, I said, ‘That will not be the only one; this will happen again,’ “ Max Sirena, skipper of America’s Cup challenger Luna Rossa, said in an interview Thursday. “And now it’s happened again. These are dangerous boats.”
Sirena added: “The boat is basically too powerful. At the same time, this is our sport. This is a risk we take.”Sirena added: “The boat is basically too powerful. At the same time, this is our sport. This is a risk we take.”
It remains unclear how Artemis flipped on a day of relatively strong winds. According to a Team Artemis statement, Simpson was trapped underneath the capsized boat. The San Francisco police said Simpson was eventually brought to shore on a smaller boat and was administered CPR offshore and onshore for approximately 20 minutes. It was unclear how Artemis flipped on a day of relatively strong winds. According to a Team Artemis statement, Simpson was trapped underneath the capsized boat. The San Francisco police said that Simpson was eventually brought to shore on a smaller boat and that CPR was attempted offshore and onshore for approximately 20 minutes.
“Despite attempts to revive him, by doctors afloat and subsequently ashore, his life was lost,” the team said in a statement.“Despite attempts to revive him, by doctors afloat and subsequently ashore, his life was lost,” the team said in a statement.
The other crew members on board “were accounted for” and safe after the accident, Artemis said. “It’s a shocking experience to go through, and we have a lot to deal with in the next few days in terms of assuring everybody’s well-being,” Cayard said at a news conference at the Artemis base in Alameda. Simpson won a gold medal with the British sailor Iain Percy in the Star class at the 2008 Summer Olympics and won a silver medal with Percy last year at the London Olympics. The other crew members on board “were accounted for” and all were safe after the accident, Artemis said. New Zealand television network One News reported that crewman Craig Monk, a New Zealander, cut his knuckles and received stitches at a Bay Area hospital but was later released.
By then Percy already had joined Artemis Racing; he is now its sailing team director and tactician. Simpson joined the team in February as a strategist. “It’s a shocking experience to go through, and we have a lot to deal with in the next few days in terms of assuring everybody’s well being,” Cayard said at a news conference at the Artemis base in Alameda. “The boat itself is under control, but that is certainly not the first of our concerns. We are focused on the people.”
Simpson won a gold medal with the British sailor Iain Percy in the Star class at the 2008 Summer Olympics and won a silver medal with Percy last year at the London Olympics.
By then Percy had already joined Artemis Racing; he is now its sailing team director and tactician. Simpson joined the team in February as a strategist.
Artemis is one of three teams entered in the Vuitton Cup, the series of races that will begin in July to determine the challenger that will face the defender, Oracle Team USA, in the America’s Cup in September.Artemis is one of three teams entered in the Vuitton Cup, the series of races that will begin in July to determine the challenger that will face the defender, Oracle Team USA, in the America’s Cup in September.
It was not the first death during America’s Cup training. Martin Wizner, a Spanish sailor, died in January 1999 when he was struck in the head by a piece of equipment that broke loose while sailing with the Spanish Challenge in Valencia, Spain, in preparation for the competition that year in New Zealand. It was not the first death during America’s Cup training. Martin Wizner, a Spanish sailor, died in January 1999 when he was struck in the head by a piece of equipment that broke loose while he was sailing with the Spanish Challenge in Valencia, Spain, in preparation for the competition that year in New Zealand.
The America’s Cup, the oldest major international sporting event, has traditionally been contested in slower monohull yachts. But after the team owner Larry Ellison and Golden Gate Yacht Club won the Cup in 2010 in a huge multihull with an innovative wing mainsail, Ellison and other members of his team decided to defend the 34th America’s Cup in 72-foot catamarans with the same wing-sail technology.The America’s Cup, the oldest major international sporting event, has traditionally been contested in slower monohull yachts. But after the team owner Larry Ellison and Golden Gate Yacht Club won the Cup in 2010 in a huge multihull with an innovative wing mainsail, Ellison and other members of his team decided to defend the 34th America’s Cup in 72-foot catamarans with the same wing-sail technology.
They did so in an effort to broaden the event’s fan base by creating a more extreme, television-friendly competition that might appeal to a younger demographic.They did so in an effort to broaden the event’s fan base by creating a more extreme, television-friendly competition that might appeal to a younger demographic.
It is unclear whether that will happen, but the buildup to the Cup in San Francisco has been particularly challenging for the organizers. Last June, there was a large fire during construction of one of the main Cup buildings on the waterfront, and there have been contentious debates over a range of issues, including revenue projections and a series of concerts initially planned for the waterfront.It is unclear whether that will happen, but the buildup to the Cup in San Francisco has been particularly challenging for the organizers. Last June, there was a large fire during construction of one of the main Cup buildings on the waterfront, and there have been contentious debates over a range of issues, including revenue projections and a series of concerts initially planned for the waterfront.
Though the Artemis team was sailing in its first AC72, which has also been modified, on Thursday, the crew has also been using a smaller, 45-foot catamaran. The America’s Cup also has failed to attract a large field for this edition. Team New Zealand, Luna Rossa from Italy and Team Artemis are the only challengers. At the last full-scale Cup in Valencia, Spain, in 2007, there were 11 challengers in a competition ultimately won by the Swiss team Alinghi.
Artemis, the first of the three challengers to commit to the Cup in San Francisco, has experienced both design and personnel challenges in recent months.
Terry Hutchinson, the team skipper and helmsman, was dismissed in December, and the helmsman’s role has been filled by the young Australian Nathan Outteridge, an Olympic gold medalist in the extreme 49er class, and the veteran French multihull star Loick Peyron.
In February, after practice racing against Oracle in San Francisco Bay, Cayard determined that the team’s first AC72 yacht was too slow to contend because of the other yachts’ capacity to “foil” — or sail on foils with both hulls completely out of the water.
“It was kind of an eye-opener — we were quite a bit off the pace, and we kind of had to make a change in our design philosophy and get on the foiling path,” Cayard said Wednesday in a telephone interview.
He decided to make significant design changes to Artemis’s second AC 72, which was already under construction in Europe, to try to be competitive in the challenger series.
While Oracle and Team New Zealand are already training in their second, ostensibly more advanced AC72s, the design changes have delayed delivery of Artemis’s second yacht by a month. Though the team was sailing in its first AC72, which has also been modified, on Thursday, the Artemis crew also has been using a smaller, 45-foot catamaran to practice foiling
“We’re coming from a place where we were in a pretty deep hole,” Cayard said Wednesday. “And we’re seeing a few positive signs, and so we’re right now currently in a pretty optimistic mode.”“We’re coming from a place where we were in a pretty deep hole,” Cayard said Wednesday. “And we’re seeing a few positive signs, and so we’re right now currently in a pretty optimistic mode.”
Less than 24 hours after that interview, a young, talented sailor was dead, and Artemis’s first AC72 was upside down and floating in San Francisco Bay, awaiting a salvage crew.Less than 24 hours after that interview, a young, talented sailor was dead, and Artemis’s first AC72 was upside down and floating in San Francisco Bay, awaiting a salvage crew.

Malia Wollan contributed reporting from San Francisco.

Malia Wollan contributed reporting from San Francisco.