AUCKLAND, New Zealand, July 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Russell Coutts said today
that he had been surprised by Ernesto Bertarelli's decision to abruptly
terminate his contract today.
"I was surprised to receive a brief phone call from Ernesto Bertarelli's
lawyers this evening which was apparently immediately followed by a media
release issued by Mr Bertarelli's staff," Russell Coutts said.
"The facts are that some time ago I had made it very clear to Ernesto
Bertarelli that I had some very real concerns about aspects of his management
style and the direction of the team.
"These concerns were based on my experience as a skipper and in a
leadership role in my last three America's Cup campaigns. They centred on
aspects of management that I had found in my own leadership experience to be
successful.
"In the course of working with him, I was surprised that Ernesto
Bertarelli repeatedly made it clear he wanted to depart from our previously
agreed commitments.
"Most seriously, I was concerned at the impact of this management style
not just on my contract, but on the wider America's Cup event. I found the
role he increasingly insisted I occupy in the syndicate was at considerable
variance with the one we had discussed -- at length -- during and since the
last America's Cup campaign.
"This and other issues were clear breaches of the contract I had entered
into with him.
"In an attempt to address these issues we entered into formal mediation
and have been in mediation for some time -- a process I had understood to be
still underway. In light of this, I have been surprised by the way he has
first insisted on a rule change and then by his decision to issue my
dismissal.
"I believe the retrospective rule change Ernesto Bertarelli engineered is
indicative of the management style he favours -- and one that, quite simply,
I cannot agree with.
"What's more, an email he circulated to the Alinghi team is frankly
misleading. In the email he refers to comments I am reported to have made to
selected Italian newspapers -- comments which, as I had deliberately made
clear to him were in fact very substantial misrepresentations of what I had
said. As Ernesto knew, I had also written to the main newspaper concerned
immediately after the story appeared, and in good faith I copied this letter
to Ernesto.
"In the same way I believe talks I have had with Paul Cayard about ideas
for a future event have now been exaggerated. I have made no secret of the
fact that Paul and I have been talking about these ideas, which I thought
might provide an exciting new event in sailing that, if it ever came off,
would in no way be in competition to the America's Cup.
"From a sailing point of view, I have to say that despite the way it has
ended, Alinghi for me has been a terrific experience.
"I have hugely enjoyed working with the whole team and wish them all every
success for the future.
"For my own part, I am committed to sailing in several upcoming regattas
in Europe over the coming months. It is true that I would have very much
liked to have sailed in the next America's Cup. However the new rule change
combined with this dismissal appear to preclude this.
"I also believe the new rule change will be damaging to the sport in
general as it unfairly limits sailors' freedom and will make it very expensive
for new teams to contract with team members.
"Whatever I do next in sailing, I hope to play a role that helps to
continue to build the sport."
Russell Coutts
Russell Coutts has won the America's Cup as a skipper three times. His
sailing record includes winning the ISAF World Youth championships, a Gold
Medal in the 1984 Olympics, three World Match Racing Championships, numerous
international match race wins and IOR, IMS and one design World Championship
victories. In New Zealand he has been honoured with a Commander of the
British Empire and the Distinguished Companion of New Zealand Order of Merit
and has been twice the International Yacht Racing Union's World Sailor of the
Year.
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SOURCE Russell Coutts
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CONTACT:
In Europe: David Ezra, The Saltmarsh
Partnership, + 44-20-7928- 1600, or Mobile: +44-7711-182481,
david@saltmarshpr.co.uk; or In New Zealand: Robert Mannion,
Mannion & Associates, + 64-9-369-5692, or Mobile:
+64-27-2310-301, mannion@mannion.co.nz
NOTE TO EDITORS: Interviews Russell is currently competing in the
Portugal Match Cup at Cascais. He is available for interview on
most days by contacting either of the following in the first
instance:
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