Safety under scrutiny after Briton dies
Source: AFP |
May 12, 2013, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
AMERICA'S Cup organizers announced a full probe on Friday into the capsizing of a catamaran that killed British Olympic champion Andrew Simpson, casting a pall over yachting's biggest race.
The high-speed AC72 "nose-dived" into the San Francisco Bay while performing a relatively common maneuver in normal conditions, they said after Thursday's tragedy during training for the 34th America's Cup in September.
The Artemis Racing crash was the second involving the spectacular new AC72 class boat, after one involving the Oracle team in October in which no one was hurt. The latest incident has revived questions about the new boat.
Given the circumstances, the Oracle team would not train with its two AC72s before tomorrow, said America's Cup Regatta Director Iain Murray.
The San Francisco Police will lead its own probe, along with coast guards, to "rule out any criminal negligence or intent," said captain Matt Bliven of the US Coast Guard.
Thursday's mishap happened during regular training and in normal conditions in San Francisco Bay, with flat water and winds of 18-20 knots, organizers told a news conference.
Americas Cup chief executive Stephen Barclay repeatedly declined to speculate on what happened, saying Murray had been tasked with conducting an independent review.
Asked if AC72 boats could be barred from the race, or if the race itself could be canceled, he said: "Nothing is off the table. We need to find what happened."
Simpson was an experienced yachtsman, winner of Olympic gold in Beijing in 2008 and Olympic silver in 2012 in the keelboat star class.
The high-speed AC72 "nose-dived" into the San Francisco Bay while performing a relatively common maneuver in normal conditions, they said after Thursday's tragedy during training for the 34th America's Cup in September.
The Artemis Racing crash was the second involving the spectacular new AC72 class boat, after one involving the Oracle team in October in which no one was hurt. The latest incident has revived questions about the new boat.
Given the circumstances, the Oracle team would not train with its two AC72s before tomorrow, said America's Cup Regatta Director Iain Murray.
The San Francisco Police will lead its own probe, along with coast guards, to "rule out any criminal negligence or intent," said captain Matt Bliven of the US Coast Guard.
Thursday's mishap happened during regular training and in normal conditions in San Francisco Bay, with flat water and winds of 18-20 knots, organizers told a news conference.
Americas Cup chief executive Stephen Barclay repeatedly declined to speculate on what happened, saying Murray had been tasked with conducting an independent review.
Asked if AC72 boats could be barred from the race, or if the race itself could be canceled, he said: "Nothing is off the table. We need to find what happened."
Simpson was an experienced yachtsman, winner of Olympic gold in Beijing in 2008 and Olympic silver in 2012 in the keelboat star class.
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