On May 9, Artemis Racing’s Andrew "Bart" Simpson, 36, was killed in an accident in which the team’s AC72 catamaran capsized during practice runs on the Bay. Simpson, who has won two Olympic gold medals for Britain, was one of the 11-man crew aboard when the incident occurred.
BC Staff Report
Published: June, 2013
On May 9, Artemis Racing’s Andrew "Bart" Simpson, 36, was killed in an accident in which the team’s AC72 catamaran capsized during practice runs on the Bay. Simpson, who has won two Olympic gold medals for Britain, was one of the 11-man crew aboard when the incident occurred. The Artemis Racing sailboat capsized in winds between 18 and 20 knots and, when the boat broke apart, Simpson became trapped.
Support vessels on site rushed to recover the crew from the water and it quickly became apparent that Simpson was missing. After he was retrieved, CPR was administered by trained professionals, both afloat and at the dock, for more than 20 minutes. Approximately 30 minutes after the incident, he was pronounced dead.
"This is a tragic reminder of the challenges faced by sailors on the water, whether they’re commercial sailors or recreational or professional sailors," said Captain Matt Bliven of the U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Francisco.
Shortly after the incident, Regatta Director Iain Murray scheduled a formal meeting with all four teams competing in the Summer of Racing—ORACLE TEAM USA, Artemis Racing (SWE), Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa Challenge (ITA)—regarding a review into the circumstances surrounding the capsize. "We need to establish an open flow of information to ensure this review meets its goals of fact-finding and putting us in a position to recommend changes, if necessary," Murray said. "Once we have the information, the basic facts, all the data, then we will be able to re-build the entire chain of events and start to assess why this incident resulted in a tragic loss of life."
AC officials assembled a highly experienced review committee of sailing and safety at sea experts with strong backgrounds in the sport at its highest levels, charging the committee with reviewing the training and racing of AC72 yachts in the 2013 America’s Cup. Members of the committee have also had involvement in other reviews where an incident at sea has claimed the life of a competitor.
On May 22, Murray, advancing the work of the review committee, presented his "2013 America’s Cup Regatta Director Recommendations" at a meeting with the four competing teams and the America’s Cup Event Authority. Structural reviews of AC72 boats and wings, a 10-knot lower wind limit (23 knots maximum) and enhanced sailor safety equipment were among the 37 recommendations issued to increase safety during the Summer of Racing at the 2013 America’s Cup.
Many of the recommendations are intended to increase the personal safety of the sailors and they include buoyancy aids, body armor, crew locator devices, hands-free breathing apparatus and high visibility helmets. Other recommendations relate to the AC72 yachts, additional support equipment and race management.
"Producing and implementing the safety plan is within the scope of the America’s Cup, as the sponsoring organization for this summer’s racing," said Stephen Barclay, CEO of the America’s Cup. "This America’s Cup safety plan is a necessary component of the permit application submitted to the Coast Guard for their consideration."
Since its first meeting on May 16, the review committee has interviewed 25 team members including team heads, skippers, designers, engineers, sailors and support boat operators. Regatta Director Murray will now form a number of task forces to bring in experts to define additional technical recommendations for specific safety items such as protective gear for sailors.
"All four competing America’s Cup teams have cooperated in an open, helpful and constructive way," Murray said, "and the Review Committee noted there is a clear desire on the part of the teams to ensure the safety of the America’s Cup as much as possible. I want to thank the members of the Review Committee for their exceptional and efficient work."
On Thursday May 23, less than 10 hours after a no-sailing recommendation period expired, three America’s Cup teams were training on San Francisco Bay. ORACLE TEAM USA and Luna Rossa returned to their training programs, while Emirates Team New Zealand had their first sail on the Bay since arriving as a team in early May.
