Coutts' next tack - sailing away from Alinghi

By JULIE ASH

New Zealand America's Cup champion Russell Coutts may sail with another syndicate if he is unable to resolve his differences with Alinghi.

Coutts and Ernesto Bertarelli's Swiss syndicate are at odds and it appears the three times cup winner is on the brink of quitting.

While it has been assumed Coutts would not be able to join another syndicate because of his background in design, Coutts said yesterday that was "not necessarily" the case.

"But I don't want to get into that," Coutts told the Herald from Rhode Island. "At this point it is about reaching some sort of resolution."

The cup protocol says design team members cannot change teams once they have signed with a syndicate. This is to prevent designers taking secrets to other competitors.

Coutts played a key role in the design of Team New Zealand's 1995 and 2000 winning yachts and Alinghi's 2003 winner. It is likely he has been involved in design work for the next cup.

But Coutts said yesterday: "I haven't been part of the design team. Basically in terms of Alinghi I have been working with the marketing department, helping to sell the sponsorship and as a sailor."

Coutts is in mediation with Alinghi and although he is hopeful of working things out, he has chosen not to sail with the syndicate in the UBS regatta against Oracle.

"We had hoped that he would helm today," Bertarelli said after the first day of racing. "I asked him before we left the dock and again on the chase boat, but unfortunately he didn't want to helm. We wished we could have had Russell on board. He's a great sailor and has contributed tremendously to the team."

Coutts said he informed the syndicate last month that he would not sail in the regatta because of a rule in the cup protocol which restricts sailors from moving to another team.

"I advised them and they are aware that it possibly compromises my position, particularly if I fail and then we don't reach a mediation settlement."

While Coutts would not elaborate on the issues surrounding the relationship breakdown, it is understood he wanted more say in the running of the cup event.

However, Michel Bonnefous, Bertarelli's long-time friend and former Alinghi executive director, was appointed to head the organisation set up to run the 2007 cup - a move which effectively shut Coutts out.

"I guess we had differences in our opinion about the management direction."

Coutts said the two parties had "been in mediation for a while now. I must say I thought it would have been resolved before now."

He said he still hoped to sail in the next cup.

"I think that is a possibility. I'd like to have that option."

Further reading: nzherald.co.nz/americascup