HAMPSHIRE sailing ace Iain Percy has revealed how he is struggling to cope with the tragic death of great friend Andrew Simpson.

And he has even confessed that it would have been “better for practical reasons” had he passed away rather than family man Simpson.

Simpson, 36, drowned back in early May when the £5m Artemis catamaran capsized during training in San Francisco Bay ahead of the 34th America’s Cup event.

The pair were famous for winning the Olympic Star class in Beijing in 2008, while they finished second in the same event off Weymouth last summer.

Southampton-born Percy has admitted he is carrying on in the sport because Simpson would have wanted him to.

“If it had been completely down to me I wouldn’t be here now,” he said.

“I would have liked more time. I may have even packed in sailing altogether.”

Percy, in an interview with The Mail on Sunday today, revealed he talked to Simpson’s widow Leah ahead of returning to the sport.

“I talked to Leah a lot about what I should do and she confirmed what I already knew,” Percy explained.

“There’’s no way Bart would have entertained any other thought but to carry on.

“Besides, it’s not just about me. There are 140 people working on Artemis and I owe it to them and their families as well, but I’m struggling to muster the competitive spirit I used to have in abundance.

“I usually manage to divorce personal issues from my work but I am constantly reminded of Bart through situations here.”

Percy continued: “I know what Bart would say. He’d tell me to stop moping. And, of course, he’d be right. Bart was always right.

“My problem is I’m finding it hard to enjoy myself and when I do I feel bad about it because of Bart.

“But then I’d imagine what his reaction would be. ‘Just get on with it,’ he’d bark, with a smile. Although it’s still painful, that’s exactly what I have to do.

“I don’t want to be melodramatic and say I wish it had been me, not him, but it would have been better for practical reasons if it had been.

“Bart’s left behind a wonderful happy life and a wonderful family.”

Percy is now hoping that safety will become a hotter topic in sailing because of Simpson’s death.

The 72-feet long catamarans being used in the America’s Cup produce great speed, but sailors have complained of them being hard to handle.

“The boats are full on. They’re sailing’s equivalent of Formula One cars,” remarked Percy.

“They’re incredibly over-powered and that means they’re always on the edge.

“I predicted there would be three capsizes before the America’s Cup was over. So far we have had two.

“Oracle capsized a few months ago but non one, thank God, was hurt. And then we had Artemis.

“I just hope that such an awful thing happening to a man who was a truly great in the sport – like Aytron Senna’s death in Formula One – has finally made everyone sit down and realise that safety has to be the focus as much as speed.”