Andrew Simpson, the British Olympic sailor, who has died aged 36, won a gold medal in the Star class at the Beijing Olympics with his best friend Iain Percy and took silver at London 2012.
Intensely competitive by nature, Simpson’s early years as training partner to Percy and Ben Ainslie did not bring him the success he so desired. He twice failed to qualify for an Olympic place in the one-man Finn dinghy, losing out to Percy in 2000 and to Ainslie in 2004. But his loyalty to his friends and to his sport did not waver. When he and Percy teamed up in the two-handed Star keelboat in early 2007, the result at Qingdao the following year was dramatic.
After a week of still waters, the morning of August 21 2008 dawned to lashing rain and grey skies. Simpson and Percy started the double-points medal race in silver position, just two points behind their Swedish rivals Fredrik Loof and Anders Ekstrom. As the boats’ positions shifted rapidly, at times the outcome seemed to hang in the balance . Percy and Simpson eventually came fifth but, with Sweden finishing behind them, it was enough to secure the gold.
Overall, Beijing saw the most successful haul of medals (four golds, a silver and a bronze) by a British Olympic sailing team in 100 years. With characteristic matter-of-factness, Simpson told the waiting press: “Basically, we knew we’d win this time because we wanted it more than anyone else. It’s a fantastic feeling.”
Born on December 17 1976 in landlocked Chertsey, Surrey, Andrew James Simpson (later known as “Bart”) began sailing at the age of six while visiting his grandparents at Christchurch, Dorset. His father Keith, a member of the Hayling Island Sailing Club, encouraged him from the early years.
Andrew met Iain Percy at the under-16 Optimist nationals in Southampton. They were the youngest competitors, and on one particularly windy day had to remain ashore playing Lego while the older ones took to the water. Percy went on to lap Simpson in the regatta, calling out to him as he passed: “You’re doing really well!” “I thought he was taking the mick,” Simpson recalled. “But it turned out that he was just a nice bloke and wanted to give me encouragement.”
It was while Andrew was sailing around the Dorset coast that he was spotted by Jim Saltonstall, the national racing coach of the Royal Yachting Association. Saltonstall coached Andrew in the National Youth Squad throughout his teenage years at Pangbourne College, Berkshire, and into his time at University College, London.
After graduating with a degree in Economics, Simpson embarked on his professional career. Both he and Percy campaigned the Laser 1 class at the 1996 Olympics, with both losing out on selection to Ainslie. Simpson went on to be Percy’s training partner in the Finn class. In 2001, having missed his chance for Olympic selection the previous year, he took silver at the Finn European Championships, followed by bronze at the ISAF World Championships in 2003. Meanwhile, Iain Percy took a break from Olympic sailing to become a helmsman for the America’s Cup team +39 Challenge. The two joined forces in the Star class on Percy’s return.
After coming home from Beijing, Simpson was appointed MBE.
He joined Team Origin, the British-backed America’s Cup challenger, before once again turning his attention to the Star class for the 2012 Olympics. Despite starting the final race of the men’s Star class with an eight-point lead, Simpson and Percy had to settle for silver behind the Swedish pair .
Following the decision that the Star class would not race in the 2016 Rio Olympics, Andrew Simpson had recently started a business making carbon furniture. Having set his sights on the America’s Cup, he was sailing in San Francisco Bay with the Artemis Racing team, Sweden’s entry in the competition, when its catamaran overturned and he became trapped underneath. All efforts to revive him failed.
He is survived by his wife, Leah, and their two sons.
Andrew Simpson, born December 17 1976, died May 9 2013
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