The first domino to fall in response to the death of Andrew Simpson during the failure on board Artemis 72. Where this all ultimately lands is a topic of huge interest.
The death of Artemis crewmember Andrew “Bart” Simpson last Thursday after a catastrophic crash of his America’s Cup team’s AC72 catamaran on San Francisco Bay is reverberating around the world. In the wake of the accident, Sailing Team Germany announced the withdrawal of its squad that had qualified for the Youth America’s Cup, which is scheduled to be sailed Sept. 1-4 on San Francisco Bay, prior to the America’s Cup finals. “We can’t and we won’t take responsibility for sending our young team over there. The death of one sailor is reason enough [to withdraw],” Sailing Team Germany founder Oliver Schwall said in a statement. “We also feel that our decision has to send an important message after this disaster. It’s time [for organizers] to start thinking.” Read on.
