Former Best Friends, Now Bitter Rivals Compete for The 2010 America’s Cup
SAILING
Skippers and leading men of the competing America’s Cup teams, who, as the title says, were formerly best friends and the most decorated teammates in America’s Cup history, are now on opposing teams. Their friendship frayed by real world contention played out on the water and in the NY court system, has them rivaling once again in the America’s Cup.
Russell Coutts is the CEO and Skipper of USA’s Challenger, BMW Oracle, who wears Lewi, Hard Kore, Gauge and Kore
Brad Butterworth is the CEO and Skipper of Switzerland’s 2x Defender, Alinghi, who wears Kore and Hard Kore.
They have been battling in court (rather team owners Larry Ellison (Chairman of Oracle) and Ernesto Bertarelli (former CEO of drug company, Serano), making them now bitter rivals.
As the most decorated in sailing, skipper (Coutts) and tactician (Butterworth) duo in the history of the America’s Cup, when they won the Cup for New Zealand in the early 90’s, then defended it, then skipped town for a huge offer from the then unknown Bertarelli, to come build the first ever challenger from Switzerland. Then they promptly won the cup for the first time (from their old Team New Zealand, who they defected from for Switzerland. The island country and the continent went nuts over this dynamic duo – who had been best friends since childhood.
Skip forward to the 21st Century and the former dynamic duo are the greatest in the game, their friendship hangs by a cordial thread, and they are now the Defender and Challenger of the next America’s Cup to be fought in the most outrageous race boats ever created – slated to start February 8 in UAE.
Kaenon Polarized will be the weapon worn by both Russell Coutts and Brad Butterworth in the much anticipated event that will make this next Cup race one of the greatest spectacles on earth.
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