Lester

Larry Ellison is an easy target in many ways, but the America’s Cup World Series was, as you have said more than once, proof of a brilliant concept, and even if Bertarelli’s personality has fewer rough edges – I have no clue and I really don’t care – I think you are right, Kimball, in giving Ellison credit for moving the Cup forward, for giving more people a reason to care.

And it is certainly true that America’s Cup racing has always come with an element of risk. In 1903 the shrouds on Shamrock III failed during a trial run in Weymouth Bay, the mast broke, and a steward was knocked overboard by the falling rigging and drowned. Sir Thomas Lipton himself was injured in the same event. A few weeks later three sailors were washed off the bow of Columbia. The sea returned two to the deck; the third was never found, despite an immediate efforts at rescue.

This is not to say that the current edition is no riskier than before. The risk of being washed or knocked overboard was always there, but when an AC72 goes over the entire crew is imperiled, and if the wind is up, every bear-away renews the danger. But to understand the reaction to the Artemis tragedy, and its impact on the event, I believe one has to view the matter in the light of a change for which Ellison deserves both credit and praise: now, as never before, if something terrible happens during an America’s Cup race, it will happen before the eyes of an enormous on-shore crowd, and with an even larger broadcast audience. And it is for that reason, in my opinion, that it is imperative to manage the race in a way that makes a second tragedy extremely unlikely. NASCAR may, as some say, have seen increased attendance in the wake of Earnhardt’s death, but I don’t know any sailor who could anticipate watching another fall to his doom with anything but a sense of dread.

So I find myself hoping that the Artemis event had something to do with the structural failure – that it is not indicative of the risks associated with a typical capsize in an AC 72, but I know better. The fact that for months the boats have been required to have support boats include a medical team and divers every time they train confirms that sailing the AC 72 comes with a risk of serious injury or death beyond those associated with more conventional racing.

So if judgment is to be passed – and judgments, both wild and thoughtful, have been flying like a hail of gunfire – then mine comes down to this: the AC 72 is too big and too dangerous to have a future; the major players have known this almost since the day the first AC 72 was launched, if not before; the risks were predicable and, therefore, there was a culpable failure to think carefully at the beginning about what a capsize in a cat so large and powerful would be like; that it is nevertheless possible for us all to take a deep breath, and look forward – even if with some trepidation – to a dream come true, to an America’s Cup raced in San Francisco Bay in really fast catamarans.

I am reading your posts and appreciating.

It is an awkward and difficult moment and people want to know what you think. We grow up, we step up, and assume positions of responsibility. I appreciate your work, your prose, and your thoughtfulness

Best
Dana

We constantly point to the similarities between top level motorsports and the America’s Cup – and this instance is no different. There was much blame to go around when we lost Greg Moore and Dan Wheldon in open wheel auto racing, but both tragic deaths resulted in safer cars and wiser participants. Such will be the case here as well. So rather than focusing on decisions of the past, let’s keep the Artemis team in our thoughts and find ways to make these technological marvels just that much safer. Each design team has made safety a priority but as the commission goes forward and works with all the teams, I’m sure advances will be made. A week ago, we were all looking forward to a terrific event, albeit with some trepidation IRT safety and while there’s no assurance, we can only hope that an accident like this does not happen again.

For me, a second tragedy in this miserable moment is that a huge number of people whose lives have been driven by success in their chosen sport are saddled with the worst of all “what ifs”. No longer is Percy’s biggest heart burn the loss of gold at Weymouth, his best mate who he helped get involved in Artemis is dead. Making decisions can be hard, dealing with consequences can be harder still.

I have serious misgivings that any one person or group should be identified for blame. There were no naive lambs sailing these boats. No one deliberately set out to make this happen and I doubt anyone has been truly irresponsible. Even if this is ‘sailing on the edge’ and we had begun to delude ourselves that it is the new norm.

Andrew Simpson’s wife, children and extended family probably don’t care who is to blame, they care about their loss. All those implicated will have to live with that for a very long time whether they carry blame or not.