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I 
RU$$Ell
It
is likely that the Russell Coutts saga will always have the lovers and
the haters. Here we hear from a lover. -Ed.
SA
is tired of reading in Muddlerutt and in some of the other oily sailing
rags about how poor little Russell got shafted by evil Ernesto. We don't
quite see it that way.
COMMENT
Poor little Russell is the best AC sailor in the history of the AC
-- and to SA - -it's Mr COUTTS from now on! And who is SA to make a judgment
call on Russell Coutts anyway?
We
read the Alinghi statement, and it said that Coutts would not sail with
any other team in the next Cup. It did not say that he would not sail.
If Baird, Holmberg and Schumann don't make the grade, and they haven't
in the past, no one should be surprised if Russell rides in on his very
expensive white horse at the last minute, in a no-lose situation, and
tries to get Alinghi off the ropes and engraved onto the Cup for a second
time.
COMMENT
So what else is new! If, Russell was smart enough to negotiate this
kind of a deal (as a boat skipper) then shit - - he is as good on land
as on water. And if RC rides in on anything - - it will be in a BMW to
be picked up by the VP of ALINGHI M Brad Butterworth in a chase boat.
And if Russell really needs to win the cup again (3rd time) for another
crazy rich egomaniac like M Bertarelli - -then my money is with the underdog
Russell Coutts.
And
to everyone moaning about Coutts being pulled off the field by Bertarelli,
it looks to SA like Coutts sidelined himself.
COMMENT
With a billionaire buying the AC and skippers (Baird, Holmberg) and
now Russell not to sail or maybe sail? - - - Who gives a shit about the
AC - - Russell is the only reason to watch the AC anyway!
After
signing a new contract or two in 2003, and taking more millions off Bertarelli,
Russell had a hissy fit when he did not get his way on a new class of
boats (Coutts wanted a new swing-keel 90; Bertarelli wanted to keep the
AC Class for one more cycle to keep costs down). Then Coutts threw a tantrum
over the 2007 venue (Russell wanted Lisbon; Ernesto chose Valencia).
COMMENT
Wait a minute - - Russell was suppose to be the Director of Team Alinghi
and was replaced into his first quarter contract by ACM. Now if Russell
was smart enough to re-negotiate his contract with all of Bertarelli's
lawyers from SERENO- - then BRAVO Russell! And why not a 90 foot swing
keel - - anything but an AC boat!!! Remember the last AC in Auckland -
- - boring as hell! And Russell does not have tantrums - - he is quiet
and deadly on the water and off - -he just got fu.k.ng even!
COMMENT
And next - - the simple fact is that every serious sailor that knows
the waters off Valencia are not so good - - and the wind conditions are
not that great (time of the AC races the conditions are really bad), the
harbor is an industrial site and the REAL reason for Valencia - - is that
Ernesto wanted one of his SERENO drugs to open the Spanish mkt for his
company!!! And bringing the AC to Spain was a good deal for SERENO. Nothing
to do with RC and sailing - - sorry!
In
the meantime Russell refused to sail for Alinghi at the Moet Cup in San
Francisco and UBS Trophy in Newport. A pro athlete in any sport who refuses
to go out on the court, playing field or racecourse and do his job deserves
to be fired.
COMMENT
BULLSHIT - - Russell was being shoved out by ACM and he had too much
respect for himself - -to not be pushed out of his contractual agreement.
So if, Russell had boarded the Alinghi in Newport - -Ernesto would have
been able to control his contract and he may not have had an option to
sail Alinghi or any other AC boat !
So
- - Russell was forced not to sail by M Bertarelli. So
Ernesto fired him. Big deal.
COMMENT
It is a big deal - - can you imagine Sir Thomas Lipton being paid off
by Nate Herreshoff (between 1899 –1930) not to sail his SHAMROCK
in the next AC races !!! Harry Vanderbilt gave Lipton a special AC Cup
for being such an excellent gentleman and challenger and for this - -
the American people would have been fine, with Sir Lipton winning the
AC (challenged USA and lost 5 times for England) for he was a true sportsman.
Maybe SA and Ernesto Bertarelli should realise that once every 100 or
so years –we are privledged to have a competitor and champion, such
as Russell Coutts - - and we should respect the man for his raw talent
and the simple fact that - - he is also a true gentleman. For this reason
Ernesto (if he had any class, would have paid Russell double the money
to leave Alinghi and rejoin TNZ for another challenge!!! No, he lent TNZ
10 million Euro (150 Mio short of a challenge) to do what -- - - get bought
by the Arabs.
Fired,
Russell fires up his lawyers, knowing if he can apply enough pressure
on Ernesto he eventually will settle, and Russell can have another big
payday. That appears to be exactly what happened last Thursday. Yeah,
we really feel sorry for poor little Ru$$ell, who is a couple million
richer this week.
COMMENT
Again, if it were any other professional sport - - Russell would be
making a hell of a lot more money. And the simple fact is SA and others
- - at the end of the day you are jealous and in awe of the man. In
reality - -who really cares if Ernesto Bertarelli beats Larry Ellison
in the next AC - - - I really don’t give a shit - - but if Russell
Coutts wins the LVC and the AC for the 4th time!!!!
Now
that’s priceless!!!
David
3/31/05
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