SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Olympic gold medal-winning sailor Andrew “Bart” Simpson’s death during an America’s Cup training run on San Francisco Bay last week was the latest and most glaring setback to befall an event that had already encountered its share of rough waters.
Now, questions are being raised about the safety of the high-tech boats that can obtain speeds of 45 mph and what affect Simpson’s death will have on his team Artemis Racing and the America’s Cup itself.
Critics complain that America’s Cup organizers promised too much to win the backing of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and are now delivering too little.
America’s Cup organizers counter that the city will not incur any costs by hosting the event while reaping the financial benefit of a major sporting event.
