I endorse Roger Rabbits' attitude towards Russell Coutts (The Weekend Sun, October 4). But there's more to state.
Many people believe Russell Coutts and Brad Butterworth did nothing wrong, and should be congratulated and emulated. They're professional sailors and good on them for chasing the money and becoming rich on their abilities.
The problem I see is they didn't get those abilities and opportunities in a vacuum. As wet-behind-the-ears-sailors-in-nappies it was the effort and abilities of a huge number of New Zealanders that helped put them in the position they eventually found themselves in.
Thousands of unpaid volunteers, at sailing clubs around the country, organised and assisted them in countless competitions during decades as they learned to sail and compete.
More individuals and companies sponsored them and their equipment. The NZ taxpayer also sponsored and supported them.
Every America's Cup sailed in NZ brings hundreds of millions of dollars into the economy, providing direct and indirect benefits to individuals, organisations and taxpayers, who assisted in creating the talent of Coutts and Butterworth - and others who left with them.To gut the team of human and intellectual resources, paid for and/or owned by NZ taxpayers, companies and individuals, after all those contributions was to spit in the face of every New Zealander.
Had they been dropped, told they were no longer wanted or needed, I don't think there'd be a problem. They rely on earning money from sailing as a career. Good luck to them with someone else if your country doesn't need you.
But to abandon a well-paid job with your country, when it is depending on you and the opportunity exists to return the assistance and trust provided to you during many decades is very, very low. Coutts should never have been knighted, at least by this country.

Mike Kuipers von Lande, Mount Maunganui.