America's Cup - Artemis Racing drop wingsail in test session - Updated

by Richard Gladwell on 4 Apr 2017 The Swedish America's Cup Challenger Artemis Racing has dropped a wingsail and suffered catastrophic boat damage to their training and test boat in Bermuda today.

The wingsail is believed to be a new one and to the AC50 shape and design. All crew are safe.

In a statement on social media the team said 'During a practice session this afternoon Artemis Racing’s development boat (T2) sustained beam damage whilst training. There were no injuries in the incident, and the yacht is back at the base.

The team looks forward to getting out on its ACC boat for the second week of practice racing, starting on Thursday.'

Wind conditions in Bermuda are have been 14-20kts today from S - SSE direction.

It is not known if the team's AC45T was to the same build specification as the AC50, to be used by all teams in the upcoming America's Cup Regatta. The AC50 is a one design on hull and basic crossbeam design with minimum build specifications, but free design in the areas of crossbeam fairing, daggerboards and control systems.

The Royal Gazette, Bermuda reports: “We were following Artemis Racing as they went flying along, foiling up on a daggerboard in a building breeze,” said Chris Burville, who was out photographing practice action. “They were going quite fast down wind, heading from the Fort Scaur area North into Cavello Bay. Suddenly the boat seemed to turn, most likely in a gybe manoeuvre [crossing with the wind swapping sides behind the boat] and the mast came down in a jumble of wreckage. It was all very sudden.”

Spectators on shore reported hearing a loud bang and turned to see the hard-wing mainsail already over the side.

Reports from an Artemis team member were that no one aboard was injured, but the boat suffered serious damage. Luckily for the team, it was the turbo test platform used to develop systems and foil designs that was not damaged and not the America’s Cup Class 50-footer that Artemis will race, beginning May 26.

“As the team chase boats approached,” Burville said, “Sailors were standing on the decks of the sailless catamaran.

“The wing sail had fallen forward across the right hull. There was no panic when the chase boats came alongside. Some of the sailors got off onto the powerboat, and other crew got aboard. They fastened floats to parts of the catamaran to keep everything afloat. The sail was flat in the water at a weird angle. One of the hulls also seemed to be on its side.”

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More images from the incident can be viewed by clicking here