Olympic Gold Medal Sailor Killed on San Francisco Bay

Back in March we posted a video of a 72 foot sailboat ripping around San Francisco Bay while on hydrofoils.

Racing carbon fiber, 72 foot catamarans at 40 knots was the epitome of the sport of sailing.  Besides Hydroptère, there’s isn’t much else that comes close to the speed and potential for catastrophic failure.  Hence the reason why everyone on board wears helmets and personal flotation at all times.

The safety precautions weren’t enough though and British double-Olympic Gold sailor Andrew “Bart” Simpson was killed today in a catastrophic capsize in San Francisco Bay.

Simpson was one of the 11-man crew aboard Artemis Racing’s AC72 catamaran which capsized during training ahead of this summer’s America’s Cup.  According to a statement my the sailing team, he became trapped underneath the boat and drowned.  

“The entire Artemis Racing team is devastated by what happened,” said CEO Paul Cayard. “Our heartfelt condolences are with Andrew’s wife and family.”