Ernesto Bertarelli announced in a thin press release over Easter that the dispute with former skipper Russell Coutts had been settled.
"Part of the agreement is that Coutts will not race for another team in the 32nd America's Cup. Both parties have expressed their great satisfaction with the agreement and have decided not to comment further on the matter," reads the communiqué.
Last July, Alinghi cancelled the contract with its successful skipper due to repeated breaches of duty after Coutts publicly considered leaving and refused to take the helm during test regattas in June. Following a simultaneous rule change to the America's Cup statutes, Coutts was also automatically banned from the next Cup. The new rule states that anyone who has been employed by a current AC team for 180 days is no longer allowed to sail for another team. Coutts took legal action against this decree. The negotiations in Switzerland had already begun.
This makes the sudden agreement all the more surprising, as the fronts seemed to have hardened. Numerous questions remain unanswered. What did Coutts get for withdrawing his lawsuit? Was it money? Would he have lost the case anyway? Did he back down?
Shortly before the agreement, there was speculation that Coutts had been signed by the Italian team Luna Rossa (formerly Prada). The Italian daily newspaper "Il Giornale" had reported this. Is the agreement related to this?
It could also mean that Bertarelli has banned him from sailing, but has cleared the way for him to work as a consultant for another team. In this role, the three-time cup winner would be invaluable.
