1. Russell Coutts won an Olympic gold medal and skippered three Americas Cup victories in 1995,2000, and 2003.
13 Facts About Russell Coutts
1. 2.
Russell 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.
3.
Russell Coutts was CEO of the Oracle Team when it won the America's Cup twice with 14 wins and 16 losses.
4.
In mid-March 2024, Russell Coutts announced that SailGP would not return to Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2025 after the presence of endangered Hector's dolphins on the Lyttelton course led local authorities to cancel racing on 23 March.
5.
In early May 2024, Newsroom reported that Russell Coutts' SailGP was negotiating with the economic development agency ChristchurchNZ over future SailGP events being hosted by Lyttelton.
6.
The website reported that an evening call with Russell Coutts had led to an urgent board meeting at ChristchurchNZ.
7.
In July 2007, Russell Coutts was named CEO and skipper of BMW Oracle Racing, sponsored by Golden Gate Yacht Club, the United States Challenger to the 2010 America's Cup.
8.
Russell Coutts was involved in the pre-match litigation between the challengers Golden Gate Yacht Club and Societe Nautique de Geneve, in which the court decided that the GGYC was the rightful Challenger of Record.
9.
Russell Coutts again led the Oracle Team as CEO in the next America's Cup match against Emirates Team New Zealand.
10.
In 2021, Russell Coutts criticised the New Zealand government's response to COVID-19 and suggested that the government was acting like a dictatorship by establishing vaccine mandates and enforcing managed isolation.
11.
In New Zealand, Russell Coutts was honoured with appointment as a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1985 New Year Honours and then elevation to the rank of Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1995 Queen's Birthday Honours, in both instances for services to yachting.
12.
Russell Coutts was made a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2000 Queen's Birthday Honours "for services to yachting, especially the 2000 America's Cup challenge", and redesignated as a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in August 2009.
13.
Russell Coutts has been named ISAF Sailor of the Year twice.