There is no such thing as the perfect athlete.

But if one did exist, sailing legend Sir Russell Coutts would certainly be a serious contender for the accolade.

As a helmsman in his heyday, the New Zealander never lost an America’s Cup Match, hanging up his sailing gear with an unblemished 15-0 record.

“We came close [to losing] a couple of times,” Coutts said with a huge grin, “but managed to just stay in front and I’m obviously proud of that record. I was involved in some great teams and was probably fortunate I had great timing in terms of when I was involved with some great people.”

Coutts has won the America’s Cup, the oldest trophy in international sport, three times as a skipper and twice as CEO of holders Oracle Team USA.

“I had a lot of fun in the America’s Cup and great times,” he added. “I have good memories of the competition.”

One of those cherished memories occurred in 1995 when he led New Zealand syndicate, Black Magic, to an emphatic 5-0 victory over American defender, Stars & Stripes, helmed by another Cup legend, Dennis Conner.

“That was kind of cool and obviously special because it was the first time New Zealand won the America’s Cup,” Coutts said.

“Those were great times and as a team we knew each other really well. Some of us had sailed together from a young age in junior sailing programmes and the America’s Cup had always been a dream for us.”

Coutts put another feather in his cap when he successfully defended the America’s Cup in 2000 with Team New Zealand who thrashed Italian challenger Prada Challenge 5-0.

He went on to capture a third victory in 2003 as a helmsman with Swiss challenger Alinghi. However, another 5-0 victory did not come without controversy as Coutts came under fierce criticism in his homeland for leading the challenger to victory against Team New Zealand.

“I wasn’t the most popular in New Zealand,” Coutts admits. “If you would have run a popularity contest I would have probably scored a zero or close to it. I look back on that experience and my kids often talk about it.

“As a sailor you don’t often experience that situation where I’d likened it to being a Manchester United player and you ran on the field in Liverpool [kit].

“You wouldn’t be the most popular person in that stadium and that’s kind of how it was in New Zealand for us at that point and I will never forget it. It was intense.”

Coutts’s phenomenal résumé also includes three world match racing titles, an Olympic gold medal, two ISAF Sailor of the Year awards and an ISAF Youth World title.

He has also won more King Edward VII Gold Cups than any other skipper in Bermuda’s waters, with seven victories.

“They were great races and I used to love coming to Bermuda,” Coutts said.

“I have a lot of great memories and in fact I beat Jimmy [Oracle skipper Jimmy Spithill] in one of the races.

“He beat me in the final the last time I raced here [2005] but I beat him pretty good before then and it’s good to remind him of that.”

Coutts won his first America’s Cup as a CEO with BMW Oracle Racing in 2010 when the American challenger beat defender Alinghi 2-0 in a race marred by a bitter dispute over the challenger of record which was ultimately settled in a New York court.

Three years later he won a second America’s Cup as a CEO when defender Oracle Team USA came back from the brink of defeat against challenger Emirates Team New Zealand to complete one of the greatest comebacks in sports history.

“That was incredible to be a part of and honestly there were parts of that where I thought we were pretty much beat,” Coutts said.

“We never gave up, of course, but if you asked me what are the odds I would have said ‘it’s a pretty tall order to turn this around’.

“One of the clichés in sport is never give up, and that was a fine example of never giving up.

“I guess all the stars have to align to pull something like that off.”