By Rob Hodgetts
BBC Sport |
The New Zealander led the Swiss outfit to victory in Auckland in March 2003 but could miss out on the defence in Valencia because of new rules designed to stop sailors swapping teams.
Under a recently-introduced America's Cup rule, anyone who has worked for a team for 180 days since the last event finished cannot work for any other team.
Coutts, 42, an acknowledged superstar in sailing and arguably the world's most talented helmsman, was sacked by Alinghi because of "violations of his duties", after refusing to sail for the team in several recent regattas.
Now his only chance of a fourth America's Cup campaign seems likely to be via a fierce and expensive court case.
Coutts may be able to argue against the retrospective nature of the ruling, or he could dispute how many days he has actually worked for Alinghi.
His non-participation in last month's UBS Trophy in Newport, Rhode Island, or other regattas in Sweden, Italy and Portugal might suggest this is the route he is gearing up for.
 Coutts (left) and Bertarelli after Alinghi beat Team NZ 5-0 in 2003 |
Alinghi spokesman Christophe Lamps told BBC Sport: "I assume that his job continued after the last America's Cup and I'm positive that he will have worked for more than 180 days - that's six months - but I can't comment on anything that might become a legal issue."
The America's Cup rules and regulations - the protocol - for 2007 are the joint responsibility of Alinghi and the chief challenger Oracle BMW of America.
Coutts admitted he had fallen out with Alinghi owner Ernesto Bertarelli over the biotechnology billionaire's management style and the direction of the team.
The Kiwi, who was lured to Alinghi after falling out with Team New Zealand management in 2000, claims he was originally assured of greater overall control of the project, rather than just as helmsman and sailing boss.
"In the course of working with him, I was surprised that Ernesto Bertarelli repeatedly made it clear he wanted to depart from our previously agreed commitments," said Coutts in a statement.
 |  Whatever I do next in sailing, I hope to play a role that helps to continue to build the sport |
"Most seriously, I was concerned at the impact of this management style not just on my contract, but on the wider America's Cup event."
Rumoured talks with other potential America's Cup teams, thought to include Team New Zealand, and his ongoing discussions with American sailor Paul Cayard over starting up a new race series were also behind his dismissal.
Britain's America's Cup team GBR Challenge denied having talked to Coutts but admitted monitoring the situation closely.
"Certainly it's been fascinating to watch," said Leslie Ryan, head of marketing and sponsorship for GBR Challenge.
"But I'd be very surprised if Alinghi hadn't covered their backs to stop him sailing for other teams so on the face of it it looks incredibly hard for him to sail for someone else, though it could depend on what job he did."
Coutts admitted in a statement: "It is true that I would have very much liked to have sailed in the next America's Cup. However the new rule change combined with this dismissal appear to preclude this.
"I also believe the new rule change will be damaging to the sport in general as it unfairly limits sailors' freedom and will make it very expensive for new teams to contract with team members.
"Whatever I do next in sailing, I hope to play a role that helps to continue to build the sport."
The America's Cup has long been dogged by controversy both on and off the water since its inception off England in 1851, and the reputation of Alinghi could yet be damaged.
The run-up to the 2007 event will consist of a number of non-compulsory regattas, known as "Acts" and starting in Marseille this September, to maximise sponsor exposure, build public interest and to give teams a competitive testing environment.
The Louis Vuitton challenger series in 2007 will then decide which team will go head-to-head with holders Alinghi for the 32nd America's Cup.
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