America’s Cup officials are holding a meeting in San Francisco on Tuesday to discuss what changes, if any, need to be made to the races following the death last week of a sailor during a practice run.
Officials haven’t released specifics about the meeting except that it will include members of Oracle Team USA, Artemis Racing, Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa Challenge—all four teams that are competing in the various races between July and September.
Andrew “Bart” Simpson, 36, a member of Sweden-based Artemis Racing, died following a capsizing of the team’s 72-foot boat in the Bay at about 1 p.m. Thursday.
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Simpson got trapped under the vessel and could not be revived after he was pulled from the water.
Regatta director Iain Murray said Friday that he is investigating the incident to determine how the races should move forward and said in a statement that Tuesday’s meeting is “a crucial next step” in that process.
“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.
America’s Cup Event Authority CEO Stephen Barclay said on Twitter that Murray also plans Tuesday to announce a panel of experts he has tasked with looking into the fatal accident.
Artemis Racing has released a statement saying the team is conducting its own review of the incident.
The team said, “Until this process is complete, any conclusions being made about the events that led to the boat’s capsizing and its tragic outcome are pure speculation.”
Thursday’s capsizing was the second major incident involving the 72-foot catamarans, which are being used in the races that start July 4 with the Louis Vuitton Cup and end in the America’s Cup Finals from Sept. 7-21.
Last October, an Oracle Team USA boat flipped during a practice run and was badly damaged as it was swept out to sea past the Golden Gate Bridge. No one was injured in that incident.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
