SailGP: Coutts gives Spithill a serve ahead of KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix
by Sail-GP/Sail-World.com/nz 18 Feb 2023 16:36 NZDT
USA SailGP Team in action during a practice session ahead of the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix in Sydney © Simon Bruty for SailGP
SailGP co-Founder and CEO Russell Coutts has given top America's Cup helmsman Jimmy Spithill a serve, ahead of KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix, which starts Saturday afternoon in Sydney.
In the "Russell Report" an overview of the various team's performances published on the SailGP.com website, Coutts, says that Australia and New Zealand, barring serious misadventure on the race track, should be able to go through to the SailGP Final in San Francisco in March.
However the five times America's Cup winner and Olympic Gold medalsit, is not so charitable for his former Oracle Team USA skipper, Jimmy Spithill who won the 2010 and 2013 America's Cups, and leads an under performing US SailGP team.
"Another big talking point is the underperformance of the United States this season," Coutts says in his opening gambit. "In Season 2, they were the most consistent team, yet they’ve really struggled this season. I think a lot of that is down to Jimmy Spithill - with the exception of St Tropez, he hasn’t sailed well all season. He hasn’t got off the start line well and the team just hasn’t gelled for a two day weekend. They’ve had good days, but they haven’t been able to put two consistent days together.
"He’s the leader of the team so the buck stops there. He tried Hans Henken, he went back to Rome Kirby in Singapore and so far the right chemistry just hasn’t been achieved. Jimmy claims there isn’t a lot of depth in the United States and that may be true - but by the same token, they were one of the most consistent teams last season and yet this season they’ve had a series of mishaps. I also haven’t yet seen a lot of effort to blood younger talent where it appears and the U.S. has some exciting real talent progressing through the youth classes.
"I don’t think they’ve got any chance of making the Season Final in San Francisco and Jimmy won’t admit this, but I suspect they’re now focusing on putting some results together to build confidence for Season 4. It’s going to be interesting to see if Jimmy can dig himself out of this hole and get back to being competitive again because age is not on his side."
On the credit side, Spithill, a keen pugilist, has a reputation of being able to punch his way out of a corner - and Coutts' critique may well be the jolt required to get some good results posted from the three remaining events in Season 3. Having sailed three America's Cups together, Coutts knows which of Spithill's buttons to press, and when, to get the required effect.
Will we see another trademark comeback from Spithill and the US team?
For the full review in the Russell Report click here