On January 19, 2003 the Swiss challenger Ernesto Bertarelli’s Alinghi, skippered by Russell Coutts, won the Louis Vuitton Cup Finals by defeating the American challenger, Larry Ellison's Oracle, 5–1, once again eliminating the United States from the America's Cup competition.
Alinghi |
This would have given Alinghi an advantage over its challenger for the 2007 America's Cup, unless the challenger, Emirates Team New Zealand, also had a swinging keel.
As the helmsman of the Alinghi team for the 2007 America's Cup, he led the syndicate to win the series 5-2 against his former team, Team New Zealand.
Immediately after the conclusion of the 2007 America's Cup, Brad Butterworth officially announced on behalf of Alinghi and America's Cup Management that a new design of boat would be sailed in the next edition of the America's Cup.