Sailing: Land-locked Swiss celebrate sailing victory

On the ski slopes, the sound of cow bells accompanying the success of Swiss skiers is not new.

But the ringing in the bars of Geneva and on the dockside in Auckland yesterday signalled an extraordinary event in world sport – the winning of sailing's most coveted trophy by a European nation, and a land-locked one at that.

Funded by the biotechnology billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli, 37, who spent $85m (£54m) on the venture, the Swiss boat Alinghi beat New Zealand 5-0 in the nine-race final of the America's Cup. The fact that the winning skipper, Russell Coutts, and his number two, Brad Butterworth, are New Zealanders added insult to injury. Alinghi's win means the cup will be sailed in Europe for the first time since the inaugural regatta around the Isle of Wight in 1851.

With the Swiss precluded from hosting the 2007 event – an honour usually awards to winners – ports in Portugal, Spain, France and Italy are competing to stage the contest.

The Italian-born Bertarelli will take home the old silver jug to the Geneva Nautical Society, a yacht club on Lake Geneva. "Our victory says to the world that the impossible doesn't exist," Mr Bertarelli said.

Alinghi's win ended an acrimonious regatta. The defection of Coutts, Butterworth and four other key crew members to Bertarelli's team weeks after the host nation's successful 2000 cup defence upset many New Zealanders. Coutts has been the object of a hate campaign and Mr Bertarelli asked Helen Clark, the Prime Minister, to step in after the crew received threats against their families.