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Russell
Coutts
courtesy 29er.org |
Russell
Coutts celebrated his 41st birthday on March 1, one day before the Swiss
Alinghi Challenge won the America's Cup for Switzerland. Despite the wealth,
the enthusiasm, talent and moral support of sailor Ernesto Bertarelli,
37, the success of Alinghi was still an uphill climb. Now sitting on top
of the Matterhorn, figuratively, and literally if Bertarelli gets his
way, our girl down under Laurie Fullerton had a chance to speak with the
man of the hour, Russell Coutts, shortly before his departure for Switzerland.
Coutts, whose wife is expecting a baby, will be leaving New Zealand to
move to Europe. He and the Alinghi team will be scouting out venues around
Europe as the site of the 32nd America's Cup.
Are
you looking forward to the task ahead of establishing a base in Europe
for the 32nd America's Cup?
Coutts
It
is hugely exciting. When the Cup moved to Fremantle, it was great. Then,
it went to San Diego and by the time it got to Auckland, the village concept
had really been developed. It jumped up 10 notches. You can take it to
Europe and it will jump up to another level altogether.
The
Alinghi team had a huge celebration after winning both the Louis Vuitton
Cup and the America's Cup. You mentioned before it was an important ritual,
could you elaborate on that?
Coutts
It
is really important to celebrate a victory. Winning is fun. It is one
of those things you will always remember. Then, you forget about it. If
you don't forget about it, you will surely get beaten the next time.
What
were some of the biggest differences for you between the Alinghi program,
and the programs established at Team New Zealand?
Coutts
When
I left Team New Zealand, I left an environment where I knew people for
many years and there was almost no structure to our organization, or very
little structure. We had formed a sailing team and design team of people
who had been together for years and years. At Alinghi, I initially had
real doubts we could pull it off. We had to pull all kinds of different
people together and change people's thinking around. So, we created a
list of solutions. We didn't do much else initially but develop as a team.
Much
of the success of Alinghi has been attributed to the "tight five"
- the five New Zealanders on the boat, including Brad Butterworth, Warwick
Fleury, Murray Jones, Dean Phipps and you. Do you think this is the correct
assumption?
Coutts
It
is a wrong assumption to say it is the New Zealanders on Alinghi who made
us successful. We didn't want the Alinghi team to look to us for answers.
Jochen Schuemann ran the sailing program, and people like Josh Belsky,
John Barnitt, Curtis Blewett and this whole international team made it
work. There was a huge overemphasis on the Kiwi input that was incorrect.
I think the biggest mistake we could have made was to say because it worked
well last time it would work this time. If you think that way, you get
tunnel vision and it is hard to work outside the box.
Did
you think other syndicates had similar approaches?
Coutts
Well,
we New Zealanders on Alinghi didn't say this is how we did it last time.
That didn't really work. You have to open your mind to things. I think
in 2000 Young America had some great ideas that worked. I think OneWorld
for example made the mistake of being focused on what was right and what
had worked for the winning team the time before.
What
can you tell us about your boats?
Coutts
We
had a strong two-boat program. We worked very hard on that and our goal
was to be ready to sail by October 2001. We didn't exactly meet that goal
but the two boats created an opportunity for new teams to form. Traditionally,
boats become dinosaurs after this event but I don't think that will happen
with our boat. And, initially, I thought that a low hull like NZL-82 was
the way to go, but Jochen was against it. He convinced us not to go that
route.
What
can you say about the defender Team New Zealand and their performance
during the America's Cup?
Coutts
I'm
puzzled about it. I think before the finals, 90 percent of the people
though we would lose 5-0 to Team New Zealand. In reality, they sailed
very well in practice and then they faced all these issues during the
Cup. We were very confident in our boats. But, we knew we were facing
a good team and a good boat. The team might have realized after the first
few races they had some problems but I think it was a really, really good
boat. Perhaps the Hula was really exciting on paper, and we thought the
Hula was a fabulous idea but it will be very strange if we ever see another
Hula. In the end, TNZ didn't have great luck. There is an element of luck
in this game.
What
about sailing on the Hauraki Gulf? How challenging are the conditions
out there?
Coutts
The
Hauraki Gulf is one of the toughest places in the world to sail and it
is one of the best places in the world to sail. As a sailor, you get all
these different wind conditions on the gulf. The wind conditions are so
variable. We might have to give up a bit of that sailing enjoyment to
find a more consistent venue next time.
What
is the main gist of the new Rules of Protocol in your opinion?
Coutts
The
key thing is we are trying to improve the event. The fact that it is going
to Europe and that we can choose a new venue will be an improvement. We
are not bound into a certain venue and we can fit it into the event and
fit it into the Cup. All competitors accept this and see there is a need
for a change. I think this will be head and shoulders above anything that
has been done before. I think it is going to be fantastic in Europe. If
you think back to 2000 when Prada was in the finals, there were millions
of people getting up in the middle of the night to watch it.
What
about eliminating the nationality rule?
Coutts
My
impressions about nationality rules changed after going to Europe. I've
experienced first-hand this time the ridiculousness of the nationality
rule. With Alinghi, anytime we went anywhere overseas, we had to always
go back through Geneva. I think the nationality rule was written in the
1980s as a reaction to an Australian sailing on an American team. Anytime
you write a rule that doesn't make sense it is open to all kinds of interpretations
that make it worse. Part of the expense in the nationality rule is making
people change and disrupt their lives. If a candidate is going to disrupt
his or her life, they are going to make it worth it and will always demand
more money for it. We spent millions of dollars on empty apartments in
Geneva just to meet the nationality rule. We would much rather spend the
money on equipment than chucking it down the toilet.
Is
this event really about nationality and countries?
Coutts
The
event is about syndicates. It is the way modern sports are going. I think
relaxing the nationality rules will make the event even more competitive.
Traditionalists
are worried that the new protocol will take away the cherished style of
the America's Cup. Do you think that is the case?
Coutts
The
sport is really growing now. And, maybe we can use other sports as a lead
to what we can do with this. We are definitely going to retain a lot of
the traditions of the Cup. The Societe Nautique de Geneve (SNG) still
retains the right to choose the venue. A lot of the things that make this
sport unappealing are caused when the boats are not on an equal footing.
In modern sports, that philosophy doesn't work. Easing rules on nationality,
sharing statistics on weather, old boats, team information will be cost
saving and better for the sport. There is a provision in the protocol
to gather weather information collectively so all the teams can share
the information. The biggest thing is that if the event is made better,
the syndicates can raise more money.
What
about the costs for the challengers who have less funding?
Coutts
We
are trying to set it up so we can reduce unnecessary costs. We are going
to try to provide an incentive. We envisage a small points bonus that
might provide some marketing rewards for those teams that attend a series
of pre-America's Cup regattas. The teams should get some rewards from
that over time.
Will
the San Francisco IACC regatta in June 2003 be included in this scheme?
Coutts
Alinghi
has committed to be in San Francisco in June, but that race won't count.
It is too early for the other challengers. We might call the events over
the next four years the Road to the Cup regattas. There will be a series
of events in '03, '04, '05, '06 and they will count in 2007. We figure
once the America's Cup is underway, it will only last for 8 weeks. This
overall event in Auckland was way too long.
courtesy sport1 |
What
are some other changes you envisage for the 2007 America's Cup?
Coutts
It
will be a joint process to hire the race director. The race directors
will get a separate mandate. We want to get away from the controversies
as much as we can. The controversies, like the one involving OneWorld,
didn't help the event at all. Some people say it adds to the event but
we think the public began to lose interest. We also want more public access
to the bases next time. All the bases will be asked to make the event
appear very consistent.
Note:
The Alinghi base in Auckland provided the only public access and viewing
areas out of the nine syndicates. The general public could try grinding,
changing a spinnaker or simply watch the activities within the boatyard.
What
do you see yourself sailing on in the next year or so?
Coutts
I think
it will be good to get back in the little boats again. It really sharpens
your skills. I will probably be participating in the Etchell's Worlds
in Connecticut this year. I am not ready to give up the sport yet! But
we would like to develop a younger effort to our team. Jochen has some
interesting ideas on this.
How
would you describe the feeling of sailing for a European team as a New
Zealander?
Coutts
I am
a New Zealander. But, I am proud of what has been achieved at Alinghi.
In a way, we were the underdogs at first. Our position to win at the beginning
was very unlikely but I am very, very proud of it. We got 15 different
nationalities together and that is not easy. It's all been very special.
How
do you feel today?
Coutts
I am
happy. I am really, really happy.
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