Bart’s why we’re back

Sir Ben Ainslie said the memory of late friend and sailor Andrew ‘Bart’ Simpson was the inspiration behind his decision to return to Bermuda for the Argo Group Gold Cup this year.

Reigning champ Taylor Canfield and 2012 Tour winner and 2006 Gold Cup champ Ian Williams are also among the eight Alpari World Match Racing Tour Cardholders slated to compete. Williams now leads the Tour by nine points over Canfield and Adam Minoprio.

This year will be the 63rd staging of races for the King Edward VII Gold Cup Trophy and the sixth with Argo Group’s support as title sponsor. 

Since the event was reformatted for match racing in 1985, the King Edward VII Gold Cup trophy has been held aloft by four-time America’s Cup winner Russell Coutts of New Zealand (seven times), four-time Olympic gold medalist Ainslie of the United Kingdom (twice), and the youngest America’s Cup winner — James Spithill of Australia.

Ainslie, who is the most successful sailor in Olympic history, won the Cup consecutively in 2009 and 2010.  His classic approach to sailing Bermuda’s IODs, and his style and grace on and off the water have made him a true fans’ favourite here in Bermuda. 

Ainslie expressed his special affinity with the Gold Cup event, enjoying its traditions, the International One Design and especially the friends he has made here.

“We feel lucky because we love this venue,” said Ainslie. “We like the boats and they are challenging. 

“The atmosphere is great and we have a lot of friends here. 

“We are returning this year to focus attention on the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation (ASSF) that has been established since Bart’s tragic death in San Francisco this year. 

“The Ben Ainslie Racing Team, called BART, is racing in the Argo Group Gold Cup to raise awareness for this worthwhile cause in memory of our late friend and fellow sailor. Bart and the charity are the reason we are racing, as well as the reason we are getting the band back together”

Ainslie’s ties to Bermuda go back to junior sailing. He first competed in Bermuda in 1995 winning the ISAF Youth Worlds Single Handed title. During the 2008 Argo Group Gold Cup, Ainslie was the skipper and Simpson was the team advisor. The team spent a lot of time talking to the young Optimist sailors gathered in Bermuda from around the world. 

Ben spoke of Bart, who died in an accident while training with the Artemis America’s Cup team, in a recent article in the Daily Telegraph saying, “Our friendship stretched right back to when we were boys coming up through the ranks. 

“We started out against each other in Optimists… me, Iain Percy, Bart and a lot of the other sailors still going strong today, guys like Nick Rogers and Chris Draper. We grew up together.”

Ben’s crew from 2008 returns to Bermuda once again and includes the current skipper of the Artemis America’s Cup Team and double Olympic Gold Medalist Iain Percy.

Percy will be tactician and mainsheet trimmer. Multiple Gold Cup winner Christian Kamp will be jib trimmer and Ainslie’s  former Team Origin bowman Matt Cornwall, known as “Catflap” will be aboard.