Alinghi crew returns home to heroes' welcome

By JULIE ASH in Geneva

Any ideas that the Swiss didn't really care about Alinghi winning the America's Cup were quickly dismissed yesterday when syndicate head Ernesto Bertarelli stepped off the plane with the Auld Mug in Geneva.

Hundreds of media and local dignitaries, not to mention the Swiss President Pascal Couchepin, gathered at the airport to greet the team as they arrived on a specially chartered plane.

Bertarelli was first off with the cup, followed closely by skipper Russell Coutts, who was carrying his young son Michael.

From the airport the team headed to a public celebration held on the edge of Lake Geneva. A crowd of around 40,000 braved the icy cold temperatures and gathered on the streets to catch a glimpse of the team and their trophy.

"One day I dreamed of landing here at Cointrin airport with the America's Cup. I was really the only one to believe it," Bertarelli told the crowd.

"I'm happy that the cup has come to a land where I was taught mutual tolerance and friendship between people in a multicultural society."

One Alinghi supporter, who had nabbed a prime position, said: "I have been here for three and a half hours. They have done so well and I can't wait to see them, especially Ernesto [Bertarelli]."

While the crowd, resembling a sea of red flags, waited to see their heroes a gigantic screen played highlights of the Louis Vuitton challenger series and the America's Cup match.

While it was hard to avoid, the Swiss managed to show every single Team New Zealand disaster from the near sinking and the broken mast to the faces of defeat.

"When the regatta first started there was little interest," said a local Geneva resident dressed almost entirely in Alinghi gear. "But once Alinghi started winning everybody got behind them. Now the cup is coming back to Europe."

If it wasn't enough for the Swiss to take the cup from New Zealand, one fan had a Lord of the Rings poster with 'Lords of Circling' written on it and the faces of Coutts, Bertarelli and tactician Brad Butterworth attached.

When the team finally made it on stage, the man of the moment was former Team New Zealand skipper Russell Coutts, who was greeted with his name being chanted by the crowd.

The whole ceremony was in French and one had to wonder how many of the team's 15 nationalities understood what was being said.

However, in a bid not to disappoint his fans Coutts spoke in French and then English.

But it seems the skipper's French needs a little work as he tripped over a few words and mistook the word "your" for "car". So instead of saying "Thank you for your support" he said "Thank you for car support".

Nevertheless the crowd was delighted.

Bertarelli then broke into the Swiss version of We are the champions before a fireworks display.

While there were not the 100,000 fans who turned out to watch Team New Zealand parade down Queen St when the New Zealanders won the cup in 1995, Alinghi's win has showed sailing is well supported even in this landlocked country.

The next question is where in Europe will Bertarelli defend it.

Further reading: nzherald.co.nz/americascup