Simpson Death: Catamarans 'Dangerous To Sail'

Catamarans like the one Andrew Simpson was sailing are "very dangerous and difficult to sail", an Italian Olympic sailor has said.

Luca Devoti stressed it was still unclear what had caused the British Olympic gold medallist's death after his AC72 yacht capsized in San Francisco Bay during training for the America’s Cup.

But he said action was needed to "minimise risks".

The accident has raised questions about the safety of the boats, which reach speeds of 46mph, after they were introduced to this year's competition.

Mr Devoti told Sky News: "These boats are very dangerous and very difficult to sail. We all knew that in the sailing community. They are pushing the boundaries of the sport and going into unknown territory.

"It is a very sad day, he was a great man."

Mr Devoti wrote an article about the AC72, a year ago, in which he questioned the catamaran's wings, and in particular pointed to the "windy bay" of San Francisco where he said "there are a lot of unknowns because of the steep and short waves and the 25 knots of wind or thereabouts".

He also wrote that it was very hard for these type of catamarans to slow down "to avoid t-boning somebody".

Mr Devoti, 50, said it was for the regulatory bodies to decide whether the technology had been pushed a step too far.

"I don't know what they are going to do from now onwards because this brings a real issue which is the safety of the sailors," he said.

"It is not for me to say, but everybody could foresee this disaster had a great chance of happening.

"The faster you go and the bigger the boat is the more you are kind of at risk.

"It's fascinating for a sailor to sail something like that. It's new, it's unbelievable, but it's really dangerous.

"I personally would never sail a boat like that. Maybe I'm getting too old, that's why. But when I was 20 I would have loved to sail it.

"It is a question mark in our sport … and it will require some heavy-thinking on how to minimise risks.

"I thought it was a bit of too much of a jump in the future when I saw it and that's why a year ago I wrote the article.

"At the same time I understand the beauty and the fascination of what it is.

"It is very difficult to say how they should move forward now," he added.

It is not the first time an accident involving a catamaran has occurred in the area.

One being tested for the America's Cup belonging to the Oracle Team USA has flipped over twice in San Francisco harbour.

In October, Australian Olympic gold medallist Tom Slingsby and yachtsman James Spithill were involved in a dramatic capsize in their Team Oracle catamaran in San Francisco Bay.

The incident virtually destroyed the multimillion-pound boat but the men escaped serious injury.

It was also filmed capsizing in June 2011, with footage showing its crew being sent flying into the water. No-one was badly hurt.