Coutts gets back to business of sailing

By JULIE ASH

After a year on the money trail, Alinghi skipper Russell Coutts is getting back to what he does best - sailing.

Following the 5-0 whitewash over Team NZ in March last year, Coutts has spent much of the past year trying to secure money for the defence.

However, now that Alinghi's budget, estimated to be around $190 million, is all but assured, Coutts is ready to get back behind the helm.

In the next few months, Coutts who lives in the Swiss city of Lausanne, will compete in several major sailing events.

First up is the Elba Cup, which starts tomorrow in Italy, then the Farr 40 North American championships early next month, the Swedish Match Cup in Marstrand in July and the Nations Cup in Trieste in July.

In between, Coutts will reacquaint himself with Alinghi's America's Cup-winning race boat, SUI64, in the UBS Trophy in June in Newport, Rhode Island, where Alinghi will battle Chris Dickson's Oracle BMW Racing in a series.

It is there that Alinghi will officially launch their 2007 campaign.

Coutts said it had not been decided who would helm the boat in the regatta.

"Almost all our team members will be in Newport as it is the official launch of our new campaign," Coutts said. "But our intention is to sail with those who didn't take part in the Moet Cup in San Francisco.

"Then it will be the same for the pre-regattas; they will sail in turns."

The first of the America's Cup Management pre-regattas is in Marseille from September 5 to 11 and will involve fleet and match racing.

The second and third regattas will be held in Valencia, on October 5-12 and October 14-17. Regattas will also be held next year and in 2006.

With an emphasis on crew rotation and blooding new sailors, Coutts said he would be at some "but not necessarily all" of the pre-regattas. That indicates Jochen Schuemann and newcomer Peter Holmberg, formerly of Oracle, will have opportunities to helm.

"It is important for us to involve all team members in these pre-regattas," Coutts said.

Since the last cup, various positions within the Swiss syndicate have been reshuffled.

Australian Grant Simmer, who was the design co-ordinator last time, is now the general manager, and Coutts maintains his role as a team leader but shares the skipper/helmsman's role with Schuemann and Holmberg.

"At the moment our team is not united and working fulltime on the next America's Cup," Coutts said.

"The design team and the marketing team are working fulltime, but the other people, mainly the sailors, are free to participate in other projects," he said. "They are encouraged to do so, in order to get other experiences and to get a new energy for the next campaign."

For the first time in the America's Cup, new rules allow for the sale of design information. The Swiss are selling their training boat SUI59 and are ready to sell some design information relating to SUI64 to a new team. "We are happy if we can help a new team get to a high level," Coutts said. "This is good for the event and therefore for us."