Artemis’ skipper Terry Hutchinson is to leave the team, or as the press release put it the American sailor, ‘has been released’. Either way the news is bad for Hutchinson who made a major commitment to the new America’s Cup World from the day the cats were announced

Artemis’ nominated helmsmen are now Nathan Outteridge and Loic Peyron.

Outteridge, won gold in the 49er in Weymouth this year bringing his impressive form into the ACWS, a clear demonstration as to how valuable Olympic experience can be in an America’s Cup campaign. Indeed, the Olympic theme runs further into the new Artemis front line with Tornado double medallist Santiago Lange and Iain Percy stepping up to the sailing team director slot while remaining as tactician aboard the boat.

Artemis’ press release:
Artemis Racing, Challenger of Record for the 34th America’s Cup, announced today a new afterguard featuring Olympic medalists; Iain Percy, Nathan Outteridge and Santiago Lange as well as Loïck Peyron, one of the world’s most experienced multihull helmsmen. The technical and multihull experience of this group will provide Artemis an efficient nucleus to guide the team’s AC72, particularly through the next few critical months of sailing and testing.
Iain Percy will also act as sailing team director.
With these changes taking place, Terry Hutchinson has been released from the team. “Terry has made a huge contribution to the team since we started our quest for the America’s Cup. Terry’s leadership and match racing expertise led Artemis Racing to win the 2012 ACWS Match Racing Championships and has brought the team to where we are today. We appreciate all of his efforts and dedication. We wish him the very best for the future,” said Paul Cayard, CEO of Artemis Racing.
Artemis Racing’s 72 was christened on November 3rd and the team has been training on San Francisco Bay in preparation for the Louis Vuitton Cup Challenger Series which begins next summer, as a lead up to the 34th America’s Cup in September 2013.
Cayard added: “With the America’s Cup racing just seven months away, it’s crucial that we maximize each day the team is sailing the AC72, both in terms of training, as well as understanding the boat’s limitations and attributes to be considered for future boat and wing development. The experience this afterguard brings is unmatched and is what will help the team succeed.”