By Colin Thompson

Sailing Correspondent

Peter Bromby has struck a partnership with 35th America’s Cup challengers Artemis Racing, The Royal Gazette can reveal.

It remained unclear yesterday exactly what role Bromby will serve with the Swedish America’s Cup syndicate, whose ranks include the Bermudian’s friend and former Olympic rival Iain Percy, who is team manager and tactician.

“Peter is a good friend of Iain Percy and has been helping him,” David Tyler, the Artemis Racing spokesman, said. Bromby could not be reached yesterday.

However, it is understood in local sailing circles that the former top sailor is playing “a key role in Artemis Racing’s sailing development”.

Bromby is one of the best sailors Bermuda has produced and his knowledge of the local conditions could prove vital to Artemis Racing’s 35th America’s Cup campaign on local waters.

He has represented Bermuda at four Olympic Games and at the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia, narrowly missed out on a medal after placing fourth in the Star Class with crew Lee White.

At the 1997 Star World Championships in Marblehead, Massachusetts, the Sandys Boat Club sailor captured a bronze medal and he is also a multiple International One Design world champion.

Percy, a double Olympic and multiple world champion, is one of the most talented and successful sailors in the world. He has a remarkable Olympic pedigree, winning gold in the Finn class at the Sydney Olympics, gold in the Star class at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and silver in the Star at the London 2012 Olympics.

Percy experienced his first taste of America’s Cup action in 2005 as helmsman for +39 Challenge and was part of Great Britain’s America’s Cup challenge, Team Origin.

He joined Artemis Racing at the end of 2012 as tactician, after the London Olympics and, after showing inspirational leadership qualities during the difficult final few months of the 34th America’s Cup campaign, he was appointed Team Manager in October 2013.

Percy, who hails from Southampton, England, is now responsible for leading Artemis Racing’s challenge for the America’s Cup to be held in Bermuda in 2017.

Artemis Racing participated in the Argo Group Gold Cup this year, one of two America’s Cup syndicates represented at the Alpari World Match Racing Tour event.

“We were fortunate enough to have received a wild-card entry for this year’s event, and decided it would be a good opportunity to get the sailors together to compete as a team for the first time since the Louis Vuitton Cup in August last year,” Nathan Outteridge, the Artemis Racing skipper and Moth World Champion, said.

“We also saw it as a good chance to check out Bermuda as it has been shortlisted with San Diego as one of the two potential venues for the 2017 America’s Cup.

“Before racing got underway, we took the chance to explore the island a little and to explore what may be our new home for the next America’s Cup.”