A mural of America's Cup sailing boats in San Francisco is being dedicated to a sailor who died during a practice run for the regatta earlier this year.
Family members of Andrew "Bart" Simpson attended the dedication ceremony for the mural, which was painted by students from the Academy of Art University on the side of a building at 150 Hayes St. near Polk Street, school spokeswoman Susan Toland said. Simpson, a British sailor with the Sweden-based team Artemis Racing, died after the team's boat capsized on the Bay on May 9.
Painting on the America's Cup mural began in January and finished in late May, Toland said.
She said a line of text was added to the mural in honor of Simpson after his death.
The dedication ceremony has waited until now "out of deference to the family" of Simpson, Toland said.
The 116-by-50-foot artwork of America's Cup boats racing on the Bay was created by 18 students in a mural class in the Academy of Art University's School of Fine Art, according to Toland.
She said the students researched the boats for accuracy in the mural and completed the painting on the side of the school's Hayes Street building by the end of the semester.
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Wednesday's ceremony included America's Cup Event Authority CEO Stephen Barclay, members of the Artemis Racing team, the Academy of Art students and Simpson's family.
Racing in the America's Cup Finals between Oracle Team USA and Emirates Team New Zealand begins on the Bay this Saturday.
