Butterworth hints at staying with Alinghi

3 Jul, 2007 10:12 PM2 mins to read

Alinghi skipper Brad Butterworth won his fourth successive America's Cup on Wednesday. Photo / Reuters

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Alinghi skipper Brad Butterworth has hinted it is not a done deal that he will be joining BMW Oracle for the next America's Cup.

Butterworth led Alinghi to a 5-2 win over Team New Zealand off Valencia this morning - claiming his fourth America's Cup

The master tactician has been linked to a Russell Coutts led challenge, bankrolled by Oracle head Larry Ellison.

Coutts is expected to take the five prominent Kiwi sailors in Alinghi - Butterworth, Simon Daubney, Warwick Fleury, Dean Phipps and Murray Jones - with him to Oracle.

However, Butterworth told the America's Cup post match media conference that he is really happy with the position Alinghi is in and he would love to stay with the Swiss syndicate.

Butterworth has now been part of the last four winning America's Cup campaigns with Team New Zealand in 1995 and 2000 and Alinghi in 2003 and this morning.

Alinghi boss Ernesto Bertarelli is heaping praise on the New Zealander, saying he has skippered the team brilliantly over the last four years.

Desafio Espanol has already been confirmed as the Challenger of Record, dropping a strong hint the next Cup will also be held in Valencia.

- NZ HERALD STAFF, NEWSTALK ZB