America’s Cup Announces Proposed Safety Changes

By Bay City News

America's Cup officials this week released a list of new safety recommendations and other changes in the wake of a deadly sailing accident earlier this month.

Regatta Director Iain Murray delivered a list of 37 recommendations on Wednesday that were added to an amended Marine Event Permit application submitted to the U.S. Coast Guard, CEO Stephen Barclay said in a statement Friday.

The recommendations are intended to reduce the chances of a capsize and improve safety measures during and after capsizes, Barclay said.

"Safety was always the priority," Barclay said in the statement. "Improving it is a constant quest and there is always more work to be done, but it is good to be able to move forward knowing we are all collectively focused on doing everything we possibly can so that any future incident doesn't result in the loss of another great sailor's life." 

On May 9, Andrew "Bart" Simpson, a British sailor who was a member of Sweden-based Artemis Racing, died after his team's 72-foot boat capsized during a practice run in San Francisco Bay.

Simpson, 36, got trapped underwater beneath the overturned vessel and could not be revived once he was taken to shore. He is survived by a wife and two sons.

The recommendation likely to have the biggest impact on the race calls for reduced wind limits.

Barclay said data suggests winds could be above the new limits as much as 30 percent of the time in July. 

Race officials hope to compensate for the changes in part by moving race times forward by an hour in some cases.

Lighter winds in August and September should reduce the chances of races being affected by the new limits, Barclay said.

The recommendations also call for reducing the number of rounds from seven to five to allow for increased maintenance, Barclay said.

It remains to be seen whether the recommendations will meet the concerns of those participating in the race.

Last week Patrizio Bertelli, the owner of the Italian team, Luna Rossa, said his team could choose not to participate if it was not satisfied the race was safe.

Sailing Team Germany has also said that safety concerns following Simpson's death have prompted its youth team to drop out of the Red Bull Youth America's Cup in September.

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