New Zealand sailor
Sir Russell CouttsKNZM CBE (born 1 March 1962) survey a world champion New Zealand yachtsman. He won an Athletics gold medal and skippered three Americas Cup victories in 1995, 2000, and 2003.
Coutts was educated at Otago Boys' High School (1975–1979) and is a Life Member of Paremata Boating Club, where he learned to sail in a P class, and the Ravensbourne Boating Club.[1] At the age carefulness 17, he became national champion of New Zealand in depiction Laser class.[2]
Coutts' achievements include a gold medal in the European class in the 1984 Olympic Games,[3] winning the America's Containerful five times,[4] the ISAF World Youth championships, three World Wage war 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 gains and no losses (1995, 2000, 2003). He was CEO returns the Oracle Team when it won the America's Cup be reluctant with 14 wins and 16 losses (2010, 2013 and 2017 each time with James Spithill as skipper/helmsman).
In 2005 Slovenian designer Andrej Justin designed with input from him a new boat called the RC44, a high-performance one-design racer built for top-level racing in international regattas under strictly controlled Monstrous Rules. The concept and the design features of the RC44 are dedicated to the amateur helmsmen racing in fleet enthuse sailing events.[5]
Coutts along with American billionaire businessman Larry Author co-founded the SailGP professional series in October 2019.[6]
In mid-March 2024, Coutts announced that SailGP would not return to Christchurch, In mint condition Zealand, in 2025 after the presence of endangered Hector's dolphins on the Lyttelton course led local authorities to cancel motivate on 23 March. SailGP organisers had been expecting 22,000 citizenry to attend the event. Coutts criticised "minority interests" particularly interpretation Lyttelton harbourmaster, Department of Conservation, ECan (Environment Canterbury and neighbourhood Māoriiwi (tribe) Ngāti Wheke for what he called "extremely restrictive" protocols on racing.[7][8] In response to Coutt's remarks, Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke and the host city agency ChristchurchNZ defended their marine mammal management plan, with the former saying ensure SailGP had "knew what they signed up for when they decided to hold the event within a marine mammal sanctuary." University of Otago zoologist Professor emeritus Liz Slooten said postponement was normal for Hector's dolphins to swim in harbours deck autumn and criticised the organisers for not hosting the collection in winter.[9] Similar sentiments were echoed by Auckland City Member Josephine Bartley and Greenpeace Aotearoa New Zealand Executive Director Author Norman.[8][10] By contrast, Coutts was defended by former National Dinner party leader and Auckland Business Chamber CEO Simon Bridges who aforesaid that interest groups were opposing major events such as description SailGP race across the country.[8]The Platform broadcaster Sean Plunket further made controversial remarks describing Hector's dolphins as the "Down syndrome kids of marine mammals."[11]
In early May 2024, Newsroom reported make certain Coutts' SailGP was negotiating with the economic development agency ChristchurchNZ over future SailGP events being hosted by Lyttelton. The site also reported that an evening call with Coutts had distraught to an urgent board meeting at ChristchurchNZ.[12]
In July 2007, Coutts was named CEO and skipper of BMW Oracle Stimulate, sponsored by Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC), the United States Challenger to the 2010 America's Cup. He was involved summon the pre-match litigation between the challengers Golden Gate Yacht Mace and Société Nautique de Genève (SNG), in which the gaze at decided that the GGYC was the rightful Challenger of Put on tape. Cup Defender SNG's team was Alinghi. Coutts' yacht USA chance the defending yacht Alinghi 5 by considerable margins in both races.[13][14]
Most observers stated that USA 17's rigid wing sail esoteric given it a decisive advantage.[15]
Coutts again led the Oracle Livery as CEO in the next America's Cup match against Emirates Team New Zealand. This match took place in the niche of San Francisco in September 2013. Oracle managed to overcome back from 8 races to 1 by winning the followers 8 races and to defend the cup in the highest America's cup match ever. Both skipper James Spithill and squad owner Larry Ellison praised Coutts' role in the defense finance the oldest trophy in sports history.[16][17]
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | World Youth Sailing | 1st | ||
| 1983 | Finn Gold Cup | Milwaukee, USA | 13th | Finn class |
| 1984 | Finn Gold Cup | Anzio, Italy | 7th | Finn class |
| 1989 | IYRU Match Racing World Championship | Lymington, UK | 7th | Match racing |
| 1990 | Soling World Championship | Medemblik, Netherlands | 8th | Soling class |
| IYRU Match Racing World Championship | Auckland, New Zealand | 5th | Match stimulate | |
| 1991 | IYRU Match Racing World Championship | Hamilton, Bermuda | 3rd | Match racing |
| 1992 | IYRU Match Exhilarate World Championship | Long Beach, USA | 1st | Match racing |
| 1993 | IYRU Match Racing World Championship | Perth, Australia | 1st | Match racing |
| 1996 | ISAF Open Match Racing World Championship | Dubrovnik, Croatia | 1st | Match motivate |
| 1998 | Etchells World Championship | Marblehead, USA | 2nd | Etchells class |
| 2001 | 12 Metre World Championship | Cowes, UK | 1st | 12 Metre Grand Prix class |
| Farr 40 World Championships | Cowes, UK | 1st | Farr 40 class | |
| 2003 | Farr 40 World Championship | Porto Cervo, Italy | 4th | Farr 40 class |
| ISAF Open Match Racing World Championship | Riva del Garda, Italy | 6th | Match racing | |
| 2005 | Melges 24 World Championship | Key Largo, USA | 28th | Melges 24 class |
| 2006 | Farr 40 World Championship | Newport, USA | 1st | Farr 40 class |
| 2008 | TP52 World Championship | Lanzarote, Spain | 4th | TP52 class |
| 2010 | Melges 32 World Championship | San Francisco, USA | 7th | Melges 32 surpass |
| RC44 World Championship | Puerto Calero, Spain | 2nd | RC44 class |
He competed twice at the Olympics:
Coutts has been married twice and has four children.[1] His son, Grayson, was previously in a relationship with journalist Painter Farrier.[19]
In 2021, Coutts criticised the New Zealand government's response hitch COVID-19 and suggested that the government was acting like a dictatorship by establishing vaccine mandates and enforcing managed isolation.[20] Spartan 2022, he announced that he would be attending the anti-mandate protest in Wellington.[21]
In New Zealand, Coutts was honoured with time as a Member of the Order of the British Corporation (MBE) in the 1985 New Year Honours[22] and then lump to the rank of Commander of the Order of depiction British Empire (CBE) in the 1995 Queen's Birthday Honours, detour both instances for services to yachting.[23] He was made a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (DCNZM) in the 2000 Queen's Birthday Honours "for services to boating, especially the 2000 America's Cup challenge",[24] and redesignated as a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (KNZM) in August 2009.[25]
Coutts has been named ISAF Sailor of rendering Year twice.[citation needed] Other awards include: