In the early morning of Monday, July 22, a crowd of 300 team members, families, and friends gathered at Artemis Racing’s dockside to hear owner Törbjörn Törnqvist tell them,
“This is a great day for many reasons. It is the culmination of a heroic effort to put together this beautiful boat. … The shore team has put so much into this, and now for our sailing team to get out there and give her justice. I am proud to share with you this great moment.”

Almost 2-1/2 months since their fatal crash on May 9 claimed the life of Andrew ‘Bart’ Simpson, the team’s second AC72 catamaran, called “The Blue Boat,” bearing Wing #3, was christened by Sarah Gundersen. This boat has gleaming royal blue hulls with the three crowns and “Aretemis Racing” at the bow, the Swedish flag at its stern, and “Artemis” emblazoned along the side. The 13-story wing at bottom bears the white silhouette of the America’s Cup trophy and bears the LV Cup logo at top, then the brilliant Swedish flag, and just below, the talisman of a deep blue memorial ribbon labeled simply “Bart”. It is a moving tribute to the motivating guardian spirit for the team and the boat.

Echoing the owner’s remarks, Helmsman Nathan Outteridge proclaimed the crew’s admiration of their shore team for their round-the-clock schedule and dedication, which produced this fast and sleek catamaran. He accepted the crew’s challenge to match their teammates’ dedication with their own sailing achievements.
Regatta Director Iain Murray, for all of America’s Cup staff and competitors, stated “I don’t think anyone fully appreciates the hill Artemis Racing has climbed to get to this point. It’s a substantial rebuild of the team in terms of building confidence back, the morale, and I’ve seen the momentum gathering. They’ve worked tirelessly and have my admiration for the way they’ve gone about it.” With that Big Blue will undergo “dock tuning” to ready it for racing.

Ted Olsson
San Francisco