$1m to skipper Am Cup boat
Australian Nathan Outteridge has been linked to prospective Italian America’s Cup challenger Columbus 2021 with a huge wage on offer.
Defenders Emirates Team New Zealand confirm they are in formal talks with Columbus 2021 whose participation would bolster the challenging fleet to four alongside Challenger of Record Luna Rossa, American Magic of the New York Yacht Club and Sir Ben Ainslie’s INEOS Team UK.
The ambitious Columbus 2021 have spoken of a multinational crew and a need to be ‘‘competitive with other teams in every respect’’.
They said they were in discussions with a skipper ‘‘of high performance classes’’ and the Italian media has been quick to look at who that might be.
The well-informed La Stampa reported yesterday that ‘‘rumours are swirling’’ about Outteridge, who was at the helm of Sweden’s Artemis Racing for the last two America’s Cups, being involved.
‘‘A source within the group that promotes the challenge talks about the negotiations under way with a skipper,’’ reported La Stampa.
Putting perspective on the relevant costs a new syndicate could face, the paper claimed the skipper could command a monthly wage of $88,000, equating to an annual salary of just over $1m. A grinder could be paid as much as $14,000 a month.
Outteridge is one of the few helmsmen with foiling America’s Cup experience available as the contest switches from catamarans to massive monohulls.
From Bermuda, Peter Burling (Team NZ), Dean Barker (American Magic), Jimmy Spithill (Luna Rossa) and Ainslie all have jobs for 2021.
Franck Cammas is the only other option but he is still trying to get his Team France to the Auckland start line in a desperate search for funding.
Artemis are sitting out the next America’s Cup in Auckland 2021. While their 2013 campaign in San Francisco was a tragic disaster that included the death of British crew member Bart Simpson in a training crash, they were highly competitive in Bermuda last year. With a fast boat, Outteridge stretched Team New Zealand in the Louis Vuitton Cup final, with the Kiwis eventually winning 5-2.
Outteridge is highly respected. He and his sailing partner Iain Jensen won gold at the London Olympics and silver at the Rio Games, finishing on either side of New Zealand stars Burling and Blair Tuke in the demanding 49er class.
They also boast four world championships while Outteridge has also won two world championships in the tricky foiling Moth class.
Outteridge recently switched to the mixed-crewed Nacra 17 foiling catamaran, sailing with his sister Haylee and eyeing the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.