Russell Coutts

Russell Coutts KNZM CBE (born 1 March 1962) is a world champion New Zealand yachtsman.

Russell Coutts
Coutts in 2010
Personal information
Nationality New Zealand
Born (1962-03-01) 1 March 1962
Wellington, New Zealand
Sailing career
Class(es)Finn, AC45
Medal record
Sailing
Representing  New Zealand
Olympic Games
1984 Los Angeles Finn Class

Coutts' achievements include a gold medal in the Finn Class in the 1984 Olympic Games, winning the America's Cup five times, the ISAF World Youth championships, three World Match Racing Championships, numerous international match race wins and IOR, IMS and One Design World Championship victories. As skipper/helmsman in America's cup racing, he has a perfect record with 15 wins and no losses (1995, 2000, 2003). He was CEO of the Oracle Team when it won the America's Cup twice with 14 wins and 16 losses (2010, 2013 and 2017 each time with James Spithill as skipper/helmsman).

In New Zealand, Coutts has been honoured with appointment as a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1985 New Year Honours[1] and then elevation to the rank of Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1995 Queen's Birthday Honours.[2]

He was made a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2000 Queen's Birthday Honours,[3] and redesignated as a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in August 2009.[4] He has been named ISAF Sailor of the Year twice.

In 2005 Slovenian designer Andrej Justin designed with input from him a new boat called the RC44; a high performance one design racer created for top level racing in international regattas under strictly controlled Class Rules. The concept and the design features of the RC44 are dedicated to the amateur helmsmen racing in fleet racing sailing events.

In July 2007, Coutts was named CEO and Skipper of BMW Oracle Racing, sponsored by Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC), the United States Challenger to the 2010 America's Cup. He was involved in the pre-match litigation between the challengers Golden Gate Yacht Club and Société Nautique de Genève (SNG), in which the court decided that the GGYC was the rightful Challenger of Record. Cup Defender SNG's team was Alinghi. Coutts' yacht USA beat the defending yacht Alinghi 5 by considerable margins in both races.[5][6]

Most observers stated that USA 17's rigid wing sail had given it a decisive advantage.[7]

Coutts again led the Oracle Team as CEO in the next America's Cup match against Emirates Team New Zealand. This match took place in the bay of San Francisco in September 2013. Oracle managed to come back from 8 races to 1 by winning the following 8 races and to defend the cup in the longest America's cup match ever. Both skipper James Spithill and team owner Larry Ellison praised Coutts' role in the defense of the oldest trophy in sports history.[8][9]

Coutts was educated at Otago Boys' High School (1975–1979) and is a Life Member of Paremata Boating Club, where he learnt to sail in a P class, and the Ravensbourne Boating Club.

Achievements
As of 27 September 2015[10]
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEvent
1983Finn Gold CupMilwaukee, USA13thFinn class
1984Finn Gold CupAnzio, Italy7thFinn class
Olympic GamesLong Beach, USA1stFinn class
1989IYRU Match Racing World ChampionshipLymington, UK7thMatch racing
1990Soling World ChampionshipsMedemblik, Netherlands8thSoling class
IYRU Match Racing World ChampionshipAuckland, New Zealand5thMatch racing
1991IYRU Match Racing World ChampionshipHamilton, Bermuda3rdMatch racing
1992Olympic GamesBarcelona, Spain8thSoling class
IYRU Match Racing World ChampionshipLong Beach, USA1stMatch racing
1993IYRU Match Racing World ChampionshipPerth, Australia1stMatch racing
1996ISAF Open Match Racing World ChampionshipDubrovnik, Croatia1stMatch racing
1998Etchells World ChampionshipsMarblehead, USA2ndEtchells class
200112 Metre World ChampionshipsCowes, UK1st12 Metre Grand Prix class
Farr 40 World ChampionshipsCowes, UK1stFarr 40 class
2003Farr 40 World ChampionshipsPorto Cervo, Italy4thFarr 40 class
ISAF Open Match Racing World ChampionshipRiva del Garda, Italy6thMatch racing
2005Melges 24 World ChampionshipsKey Largo, USA28thMelges 24 class
2006Farr 40 World ChampionshipsNewport, USA1stFarr 40 class
2008TP52 World ChampionshipsLanzarote, Spain4thTP52 class
2010Melges 32 World ChampionshipsSan Francisco, USA7thMelges 32 class
RC44 World ChampionshipsPuerto Calero, Spain2ndRC44 class

/>           – 1995 America's Cup / Black Magic (Challenger) / San Diego / Winner (5 to 0) – Skipper & Helmsman

Awards

References
  1. London Gazette (Supplement), No. 49970, 28 December 1984; retrieved 10 January 2013.
  2. "Queen's Birthday honours list 1995". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 19 October 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  3. "Queen's Birthday honours list 2000 (including special list for East Timor)". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 5 June 2000. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  4. "Special honours list 1 August 2009". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 5 April 2011. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  5. "America's Cup". Archived from the original on 15 February 2010. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
  6. "America's Cup". Archived from the original on 17 February 2010. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
  7. "America's Cup". Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  8. "Resurgent Spithill sings Russell Coutts' praises". Stuff. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  9. Yacht Magazin. ""Das war wie ein Märchen" – YACHT.DE". YACHT.de. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  10. "Biography". Members.sailing.org. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  11. "Lorbeer für alle". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. 2 July 1994. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
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