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| Andrew Simpson's death prompts full review by America's Cup team | Andrew Simpson's death prompts full review by America's Cup team |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The America's Cup team for which British Olympic gold medallist Andrew Simpson was racing when he drowned in San Francisco has promised a full review of the accident that claimed his life, amid concerns over the safety of the huge multi-hull boats now used in the race. | |
| Simpson, 36, a married father of two, died when the AC72 multi-hull craft on which he was training for the 34th America's Cup in September capsized, leaving him trapped underneath for up to 10 minutes. | |
| As tributes poured in from across the sporting landscape for a hugely popular and down-to-earth member of the British Olympic team, Artemis Racing pledged to "conduct a thorough analysis and review of this accident" and look at what could be done to limit risks. | As tributes poured in from across the sporting landscape for a hugely popular and down-to-earth member of the British Olympic team, Artemis Racing pledged to "conduct a thorough analysis and review of this accident" and look at what could be done to limit risks. |
| Simpson won the Olympic gold medal with his friend Iain Percy in the Star class in Beijing and they gained a silver in London. Stephen Park, the Royal Yachting Association's Olympic manager, said the accident was devastating. | Simpson won the Olympic gold medal with his friend Iain Percy in the Star class in Beijing and they gained a silver in London. Stephen Park, the Royal Yachting Association's Olympic manager, said the accident was devastating. |
| "Early on he had been a bit reluctant to get involved but once he decided to get into it he was in there with both feet," he said. "He moved his wife and kids out there a few weeks ago and was fully committed to this period through to September." | "Early on he had been a bit reluctant to get involved but once he decided to get into it he was in there with both feet," he said. "He moved his wife and kids out there a few weeks ago and was fully committed to this period through to September." |
| "He was a great guy and family man. "Very passionate about everything he did. Very passionate about sailing and living life. It's devastating that his life has been cut short." | "He was a great guy and family man. "Very passionate about everything he did. Very passionate about sailing and living life. It's devastating that his life has been cut short." |
| Simpson, who grew up competing with and against Percy and Sir Ben Ainslie, the four-time Olympic gold medallist, was affectionately known by his teammates as Bart. Percy is the sailing team director and tactician for the Swedish team Artemis Racing. | Simpson, who grew up competing with and against Percy and Sir Ben Ainslie, the four-time Olympic gold medallist, was affectionately known by his teammates as Bart. Percy is the sailing team director and tactician for the Swedish team Artemis Racing. |
| Defending champions Oracle Team USA, whose helmsman is Ainslie, said Simpson would be dearly missed. He was "a great person, a terrific sailor, and a good friend to all of our team", they added. | Defending champions Oracle Team USA, whose helmsman is Ainslie, said Simpson would be dearly missed. He was "a great person, a terrific sailor, and a good friend to all of our team", they added. |
| Park said the America's Cup, which will be raced on hi-tech 72ft winged-sail catamarans, had always pushed boat design and sailors to the limit but that accidents of this magnitude were rare. | |
| Sir Keith Mills, the deputy chairman of the London 2012 organising committee and a key figure in the sailing community was due to be made a Knight Grand Cross - the highest grade of knighthood - on Friday but pulled out of the ceremony following Simpson's death. | Sir Keith Mills, the deputy chairman of the London 2012 organising committee and a key figure in the sailing community was due to be made a Knight Grand Cross - the highest grade of knighthood - on Friday but pulled out of the ceremony following Simpson's death. |
| Sports Minister Hugh Robertson, who got to know the sailor in the run up to the London Games, said: "Andrew Simpson's death is a huge loss to sailing, the Olympic movement and British sport." | Sports Minister Hugh Robertson, who got to know the sailor in the run up to the London Games, said: "Andrew Simpson's death is a huge loss to sailing, the Olympic movement and British sport." |
| Bart Rugo, a coastguard auxiliary member who lives on Treasure Island, realised something had happened when he heard coast guard helicopters. He had been able to view the Artemis up close while providing security for America's Cup competitors training in the bay. | Bart Rugo, a coastguard auxiliary member who lives on Treasure Island, realised something had happened when he heard coast guard helicopters. He had been able to view the Artemis up close while providing security for America's Cup competitors training in the bay. |
| "These are the fastest boats in the world and they are crewed by the finest sailors in the world. They are going as fast as they can, always pushing the edge. Sometimes mother nature throws you a curve and if you're on the edge, well..." his voice trailed off. | "These are the fastest boats in the world and they are crewed by the finest sailors in the world. They are going as fast as they can, always pushing the edge. Sometimes mother nature throws you a curve and if you're on the edge, well..." his voice trailed off. |
| Rugo said conditions were not ideal. "The waves were real choppy and the wind was pretty strong but nothing out of the ordinary for San Francisco bay." | Rugo said conditions were not ideal. "The waves were real choppy and the wind was pretty strong but nothing out of the ordinary for San Francisco bay." |
| He said there were many possibilities for why the Artemis flipped. "A rogue wave, a gust of wind, a miscommand from the skipper, a snapped line. It could have been anything." | He said there were many possibilities for why the Artemis flipped. "A rogue wave, a gust of wind, a miscommand from the skipper, a snapped line. It could have been anything." |
| Simpson's death has brought the debate over the new type of boats that race in the America's Cup into sharp focus. There have been two other deaths in the 162 years of America's Cup racing: in 1935 a steward was knocked overboard during a trial race, and in 1999 a Spanish crewman was hit on the head by a piece of equipment. | Simpson's death has brought the debate over the new type of boats that race in the America's Cup into sharp focus. There have been two other deaths in the 162 years of America's Cup racing: in 1935 a steward was knocked overboard during a trial race, and in 1999 a Spanish crewman was hit on the head by a piece of equipment. |
| But Simpson's death, by drowning after being trapped beneath the Artemis for 10 minutes, was felt to be an accident waiting to happen among some America's Cup observers. | But Simpson's death, by drowning after being trapped beneath the Artemis for 10 minutes, was felt to be an accident waiting to happen among some America's Cup observers. |
| Pictures of the capsized 72-foot Artemis appear to show structural failure on the boat and while the timing of that failure is not yet known, the images will none the less lend credence to the theories of those who believe the changes made to the design of boats have been a step too far. | Pictures of the capsized 72-foot Artemis appear to show structural failure on the boat and while the timing of that failure is not yet known, the images will none the less lend credence to the theories of those who believe the changes made to the design of boats have been a step too far. |
| America's Cup Regatta Director Iain Murray said that conditions were normal in San Francisco Bay when the boat appeared to nosedive during a difficult manouvre and broke into many pieces. "Artemis and Oracle were out there training in what they had been doing for months," he said. "And looking frankly quite good." Murray said the manouvre involved changing direction and wind flow across the boat. Though difficult, it was normal, he said. "The boat nosedived and all that we know from that point in the manouvre is that the boat ended up upside down, capsized and broken into many pieces. All of the crew, except for Bart, were located immediately," said Murray, his voice cracking. | |
| "It appears Bart was trapped under some of the solid sections of the yacht, out of view and out sight of the myriad people on board trying to locate him, including proper divers with apparatus." | |
| He said all the crews had been trained in being underwater, carried oxygen and were "meant to be prepared for the worst". | |
| Bob Naber, commodore with the Bay Area Multihull Association, said it was too soon to determine the cause of the accident but that he did not think the bay area course was to blame. | |
| "I've watched the boats sail there. I've sailed it myself. They train on weekdays when it's pretty open and empty out there. It wasn't crowded. People who like to watch them have learned they're too fast, you can't keep up, so there's no point trying." | |
| Naber said there were multiple possible causes. "It could have been something as simple as hitting a log, or something associated with the design, construction or operation of the boat." | |
| He said Simpson's death was a tragedy for his family and the sailing community but that professionals understood the risks of racing at this level. "You're constantly trading off weight and performance and durability. No one was going into this with their eyes closed. They knew what they were doing and why they were doing it." | |
| Bringing the race closer to shore to enhance the spectacle had not been a controversial decision, he said. "Making the race more TV friendly was an objective. People knew that. No one was forced into anything." | |
| Richard Jepson, CEO of the Bay area's Olympic Sailing Circle Club, said the debris indicated a "major failure" but the cause was unclear. "It's like driving a car at 50mph on a really rocky road. If one rock is big enough it can throw the car out of control." | |
| He played down suggestions that the bay was too constricted for such vessels. "They had plenty of room to maneuver." | |
| Unless investigators found evidence of endemic problems with the course, which he considered unlikely, the America's Cup would go ahead largely as planned, Jepson predicted. | |
| "I would be surprised to see radical changes made. I believe they'll make some minor adjustments." |