British Olympic gold medal-winning sailor Andrew Simpson has died aged 36 following a training accident in San Francisco.

Simpson was part of the 11-man crew on board Artemis Racing's AC72 catamaran when it capsized near San Francisco Bay.

Attempts were made to save the Brit's life after he was recovered from under the vessel, but doctors were unable to resuscitate him.

All of the remaining crew members have since been accounted for.

"The entire Artemis Racing team is devastated by what happened," CEO Paul Cayard told the team's official website. "Our heartfelt condolences are with Andrew's wife and family."

Simpson won a gold medal in the Star class at the 2008 Beijing Games before earning a silver medal in the same category at London 2012.