AC34: None of this is true

We still wait to hear the basic cause for the America’s Cup training accident incurred by challenger Artemis Racing on May 9, 2013 that led to the destruction of their AC72 and the death of crewman Andrew Simpson. It seems that everyone with a stake in this incident has been silent.

So without news, we get speculation. Scuttlebutt asked the Artemis Racing team about this latest rumor translated from an Italian publication:

(May 21, 2013) – According to rumors circulating yesterday evening, in San Francisco is undergoing a revolution within the team Artemis, about to participate in the next Louis Vuitton Cup (with Luna Rossa and New Zealanders) and the victim of a tragic accident last week claimed the view to English champion “Bart” Simpson. The ax of dismissal seems to have decimated the entire design department. Losing their jobs has been the project manager Juan Kouyoumdjan, his brother Gonzalo (responsible for performance), and Andrea Avaldi (responsible for the structures). Very uncertain at the time is the fate of the team’s CEO, Paul Cayard. At 6 weeks from the start of the races, with almost zero vertices, the body also incorporates the possibility of a withdrawal from the competition with the Swedish team.

The Artemis Racing team reports that, as of May 22 (13:27 PDT), none of this information is true. Team CEO Paul Cayard has offered this update:

(May 22, 2013) – Artemis Racing is back to work. We will only race if our sailing team believes they are safe racing AC72s. This confidence will be dependent on many criteria, one of the most important of which is the new safety criteria and rules changes that the America’s Cup organizers and competitors will adopt.

Regarding the accident on San Francisco Bay, Artemis Racing is still in the process of conducting its own internal review. I understand that frustration exists out there because questions remain about the accident. It was, however, a complex event. We want to give it the time, respect and professionalism it deserves, so we thank everyone for their continued patience during this process.