British Olympic champion killed after sailboat capsizes while practicing for America's Cup in San Francisco Bay

• Andrew Simpson, 36, died while practicing for the upcoming America's Cup
• Won gold in Beijing 2008 and silver during London 2012 alongside Iain Percy
  
• Catamaran capsized and Mr Simpson was stuck under its hull for 10 minutes
• Doctors tried to revive him in the water and ashore but failed
• He leaves his wife Leah and young son Freddie, who lived together in Dorset
• Handed an MBE in 2009 New Year's Honours list for services to sport
• Tributes from across sporting world pour in for 'great sailor and terrific man'
  

By Martin Robinson and Thomas Durante

PUBLISHED: 16:35 EST, 9 May 2013 | UPDATED: 02:43 EST, 10 May 2013

Tragedy: Celebrated British Olympian Andrew Simpson, who won gold during Beijing 2008, has died in San Francisco after the America's Cup boat he was training in capsized

British Olympic hero Andrew Simpson has died after a 72-foot-long sailboat capsized in San Francisco Bay while he and 11 crew were training for the America’s Cup.

The 36-year-old sailor, known as Bart, won gold at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and silver during London 2012 in the Star class.

At around 1pm PDT, the Artemis Racing's AC72 catamaran got into trouble near Treasure Island, the former naval station located in the bay, and Mr Simpson was trapped underneath the boat for up to 10 minutes.

After he was pulled from the water doctors tried to resuscitate him in a boat and then ashore, but the Briton could not be revived.

Simpson and his wife Leah have one child together, a son named Freddie, and they lived together in Sherborne, Dorset.

He had served as the Swedish team's strategist for the biggest team event in sailing, which is due to start in San Francisco in July.

Another sailor suffered minor injuries, and the rest of the crew of 13 was accounted for and taken back to their dock in Alameda in a boat operated by Oracle Racing, which is defending its 2010 America's Cup title and will this year include British sailing legend and four-time gold medallist Sir Ben Ainslie.

'The entire Artemis team is devastated by what happened,' CEO Paul Canyard said in a statement posted on the team's website.

'Our heartfelt condolences are with Andrew's wife and family.'

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Accident: The overturned Artemis Racing AC-72 catamaran is seen in the water in San Francisco, California, which British sailor Andrew Simpson is understood to have got stuck under

Tragedy in the water: The Artemis Racing catamaran carrying a Swedish flag capsized in the San Francisco Bay, killing Andrew Simpson, a British Olympic medalist

Family man: Simpson is pictured with his son Freddie (left), and with his wife Leah (right)

Simpson won Olympic medals for Great Britain with teammate and close friend Iain Percy by his side.

Moving: Andrew holds his son tightly on his shoulders as Team GB Olympic sailors open top bus tour of Weymouth and Portland last summer

He was looking forward to participating in the America's Cup, tweeting in March: 'Moving the family to San Fran for 6 months is pretty hectic!!! The cup should be fun though!!'

The 11 other people on board were transferred to a support boat operated by Oracle Racing, which is defending its America’s Cup title from last year in San Francisco this summer.

It is not known whether Percy, the team's sailing director, was onboard when the boat capsized.

The race is scheduled to run from July through September, and the teams are currently training in the bay on specially made 72-foot catamarans.

Tributes to two-time Olympian Andrew Simpson have poured in from the world of sailing and beyond.

A statement from Sir Ben Ainslie's Oracle team read: 'Today is a sad day for all of us in the sailing community. Andrew Simpson was a great person, a terrific sailor, and a good friend to all of our team.

'Our thoughts are with his family and the entire Artemis team. He will be dearly missed.'

The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) and British Sailing Team said they were 'devastated' to confirm Simpson's death while sailing the 72ft yacht yesterday.

John Derbyshire, RYA's performance director: 'We're devastated by the news from San Francisco today.

'Andrew is someone I've worked closely with since the age of 16 - he was a great talent, and a key figure in our World Class Programme over many years culminating in his well-deserved Olympic success.

'He was a huge inspiration to others, both within the British Sailing Team and across the nation and our deepest sympathies go out to his family at this terrible time.'

Family: Andrew Simpson and his wife Leah, pictured right, had one child together

Competitor: Simpson was looking forward to participating in the America's Cup, expressing his enthusiasm to fans via Twitter

Stephen Park, RYA Olympic manager, added: 'Andrew was a fantastic sailor who got the best out of everyone he sailed with.

Leader: Simpson served as the Swedish team's strategist. He was 36 years old

'He was much loved and will be sorely missed by everyone in our close knit team. Our thoughts today are with Andrew's family.'

Olympic silver medallist windsurfer Nick Dempsey said via his Twitter account 'Going to miss you Bart', while Luke Patience, who took silver in the men's 470 class at London 2012, said: 'Devastated. Bart, you are a true inspiration.'

The British Sonar team, comprising John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas, also took to the social network, posting: 'Devastated by the news from Artemis racing... Our thoughts and prayers go out to Bart's family and team, a true sailing legend...'

Simon Shaw, sailing double world match racing champion, added: Today we lost a courageous sailor. A true friend from school, till now, my heart is with his family.'

Sir Clive Woodward, British Olympic Association director of sport at London 2012, was another to pay tribute, tweeting: 'Totally shocked to hear Olympic star Andrew 'Bart' Simpson died after Swedish America's cup catamaran capsizes - thoughts with his family.

The US Sailing Team also spoke of its shock and sadness at the news, saying: 'A tremendously sad day for the sport of sailing. Our thoughts are with the family of Olympic Champion Andrew Simpson, and Artemis Racing.'

Winner: Simpson won a gold medal in men's sailing during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing

Tragic boat: The Artemis Racing catamaran, pictured here in a file photo, carrying a Swedish flag capsized just after 1pm near Treasure Island, the former naval station located in the bay

Former America's Cup sailor Andy Green had known Simpson for many years.

Mr Green told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'He was questioning whether he wanted to continue sailing, but because his friend Iain Percy was at Artemis he went over there in February and started racing with them as a valuable asset. He will be sorely missed by them.

'It's particularly poignant for a British audience that this tragedy has happened because of his history in the Olympics, but I can only hope that Britain goes on to get involved in the Americas Cup and win it back, with this very firmly in mind.'

Teammates: Both Olympic medal-winning performances were won with Simpson's teammate Iain Percy, pictured right, by his side

The Louis Vuitton Cup for challengers starts July 4, with the winner facing Oracle in the 34th America’s Cup beginning September 7.

The Swedish team has two boats, and it was not immediately clear whether the capsized boat sustained damages or was considered a total loss, Lt Crump said.

She added that Coast Guard officials were as yet unsure what caused the boat to capsize.

This is the second time a sailor has died during training for the America's Cup.

In 1999, Martin Wizner of the Spanish Challenge died almost instantly when he was hit in the head by a broken piece of equipment.

 

One dead as America's Cup boat capsizes

ANDREW SIMPSON: THE BOY BORN IN LANDLOCKED SURREY WHO LATER TOOK THE SEAS BY STORM FOR GREAT BRITAIN IN SUCCESSIVE OLYMPICS

Victorious: Andrew Simpson (left) and Iain Percy, celebrate on the podium after winning the Gold Medal in their class at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games

Andrew Simpson caught the sailing bug when he was a young boy, despite being born in 1976 in the landlocked town of Chertsey in Surrey.

While visiting his grandparents in Christchurch, Dorset, he took to the waves with his parents when he was just four or five in their Sea Flyer boat, according to the Royal Yachting Association (RYA).

Even at such tender years he raced through the surf faster than his father, and it was not long before he had a boat of his own in which to hone his craft.

Simpson, known affectionately as 'Bart' after the television character, grew up racing two boys who would become

Olympic legends in their own right - Ben Ainslie and Iain Percy, the latter being his childhood Lego-building friend, sailing partner and best man at his wedding.

Last year Simpson told the RYA and the British Sailing Team: 'They are both fantastic sailors. Sometimes you thought you were lucky to be sailing against those guys because they're such good sailors and sometimes I'd beat them although more often than not they would beat me.

'They're that little bit better for reasons I learned later in life; that they worked harder at it not necessarily because they're much more talented.'

At the start of his career Simpson sailed in the Laser class, plugged away for many years behind Percy and Ainslie in the Finn class, before moving to sail Finns himself.

In 2001, having missed out to Percy for Olympic selection the previous year, he took silver at the 2001 Finn European Championships, following it up with bronze at the World Championships in 2003.

Dedicated: Mr Simpson leans into the water with friend Iain Percy behind him during London 2012

He missed out to Ainslie for the 2004 Olympics in Athens, and the following year joined the America's Cup challenger +39 Challenge as helmsman.

With Ainslie so dominant, Simpson teamed up with Percy in 2007 in the Star class, TeamGB said. The partnership flourished immediately, and the pair won World Championship bronze.

A year later was perhaps their finest triumph as a team, when they won gold in the Star class at the Beijing Olympics. He was later made an MBE in the 2009 New Year Honours list.

Speaking of how he felt at the time, Simpson told the RYA: 'You win a gold medal with your best friend and you're on the podium and the national anthem is played and you've just had a really tough regatta, it's not like we won it easy, it was a real war.

'Iain looked like he was going to cry so I put my arm around his back and said, 'Nice work mate'.
'He was just exhausted or about to cry, I'm not sure which, but he is quite a tough lad so he kept it in.'

Simpson and Percy went on to take Star gold in the 2009 European Championships and the 2010 World Championships.

But they could not quite manage gold at last year's home Olympics, taking silver behind the Swedish pair despite heading into the medal race with an eight-point lead.

Simpson leaves behind a wife, Leah, and a young son, Freddie.