Andrew Simpson

Safety review In the aftermath of the accident, safety concerns were raised over the new AC72 class of yachts which had been chosen to compete in the 2013 America's Cup. This was the second accident involving the class; in October 2012 an Oracle Team USA AC72 also capsized in San Francisco Bay during training, causing substantial damage but no serious injuries. Christopher Clarey, writing in The New York Times, described the class as "high-speed and high-risk." In early June 2013, it was announced that the programme of events for the 2013 America's Cup would be significantly reduced in response to Simpson's death. Later that month, a review committee presented 37 proposed modifications to the event to an international jury which the committee deemed necessary to be fulfilled in order for the event to go ahead altogether.

Honours Simpson was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours.

Personal life Born in Windlesham, Surrey in 1976, He first learned to sail aged four or five, while visiting his grandparents at Christchurch, Dorset, and later sailed in a Seafly dinghy with his father, Keith.

Affectionately known as "Bart", after the character Bart Simpson, from the American animated series The Simpsons, Simpson was described as having "steely determination and focus" but being "diplomatic, softly spoken".

Andrew Simpson Foundation The Andrew Simpson Foundation (ASF) is a registered charity in England and Wales (1153060) and was founded in memory of, and inspired by, Andrew ‘Bart’ Simpson. The ASF was established in 2013 by Trustees Sir Ben Ainslie, Iain Percy OBE and Andrew's wife, Leah. The ASF's mission is to transform lives through sailing. Each year it gives thousands of young people the opportunity to get out on the water and experience the joys and challenges of sailing and watersports. The ASF operates four not-for-profit centres in the UK – Portland, Portsmouth, Reading and Birmingham. The charity also supports sailing initiatives in South Africa and Turks and Caicos.

Bart's Bash

Bart's Bash is a fund-raising event organised by the Andrew Simpson Foundation in memory of Andrew (Bart). Launched in 2014, it is the world's largest sailing event. Its main aims are to increase international awareness of sailing, and to raise funds for supporting sustainable projects and improving the lives of children. The first Bart's Bash inspired over 700 sailing clubs from more than 60 countries to organise individual Bart's Bash races at their locations. In January 2015, Bart's Bash was awarded a Guinness World Record for staging the largest sailing race in 24 hours.