Bernie Wilson: Artemis skipper falls overboard in Cup challenger finals

QUOTE-UNQUOTE: [Nathan] Outteridge slipped and flew off the boat as the six-man crew went through its quick, choreographed sprint to change sides while the 50-foot foiling catamaran was turning while going about 27 knots on the fifth of seven legs. Two crewmen were the first to move from the starboard hull to the port hull. Then came Outteridge and another crewman. The boat began to straighten and there went the skipper, sliding off the back beam and into the sound. "I was just looking for something to grab onto," said Outteridge, an Australian who has won Olympic gold and silver medals. "These boats are pretty aero, so there wasn't really much there. I tried to grab some net or a bit of the boat and just must missed everything and ended up in the water." Once I resurfaced, I looked up and sort of made a little prayer and wished the guys best of luck and hoped they made the cross and could pull off a couple of gybes. It's pretty hard when any person goes overboard to get these boats around the track." –Bernie Wilson, writing in his usual excellent race day wrap-up for the Associated Press. Full story via the Idaho Statesman.

Artemis Racing skipper Nathan Outteridge (AUS) hopping across the trampoline netting during one of today's three races against Emirates Team New Zealand (this is not when he slipped and went overboard – but you get the idea). See that video on SAILING ILLUSTRATED here. Photo: Ricardo Pinto, ACEA.