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The Swedish Artemis Racing America’s Cup team said goodbye to their team mate Andrew ‘Bart’ Simpson in a private ceremony today out on San Francisco Bay today.
Skies were grey and overcast for the ceremony during which a wreath was cast upon the water and the traditional ‘eight bells’ were rung in honour of Simpson who was killed last week when the Swedish AC72 crashed and broke up during a training session.
Representatives of the other three teams, Emirates Team New Zealand, Oracle Team USA and Luna Rossa Challenge 2013 were in attendance.
A press release from Artemis Racing this afternoon briefly described the ceremony and then poignantly noted:
“Then the morning’s rain parted and sunshine spread across San Francisco Bay. The Artemis Racing team thanks everyone for their support. Bart, may you rest in peace.”
While some media outlets have chosen to question or even openly criticise Artemis Racing’s media silence since Simpson’s death, others have more sensitively acknowledged the shock and trauma that the whole team must surely have experienced and recognised the need for them to start the mourning process in private.
Whether any decision has been made to continue or not with their challenge for the 34th America’s Cup is yet to emerge.
Surely few would fail to understand if they chose to pull out, but for our part, we hope they find the strength and resolve to race on in Andrew Simpson’s memory.
Image credit: Artemis Racing/Sander van der Borch
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