This is from H2O Sailing News:

THE REST OF THE STORY
(In the he following message from Russell Coutts, we hear the other side of
the story.)

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. 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 centered 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 favors - 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



--
katysails
s/v Chanteuse
Kirie Elite 32
http://katysails.tripod.com

"Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax
and get used to the idea." - Robert A. Heinlein



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