Sailing: Rogge wants new body to run America's Cup

After over two months of huffing and puffing, howling gales and doldrums, the freshest air of the week in the America's Cup here came from Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee and a former Olympic sailor.

Yesterday, for the 16th of 50 scheduled race days since the Louis Vuitton Cup kicked off on 1 October, the competitors were sent home without racing, this time because the wind was, to Rogge's disbelief, too strong. The semi-finals remain poised at 3-0 for Alinghi of Switzerland against Oracle BMW of San Francisco, stalled at 1-1 between OneWorld Challenge of Seattle and Prada of Italy.

Unfortunately, Rogge's wisdom will have fallen on deaf ears. He called for an independent body to rule over the organisation of the America's Cup, a suggestion that one hide-bound old hack immediately said had him laughing.

Fact is, no one introduced to the way the America's Cup is run can believe what he or she is hearing. There is no other major event like it, where the playing field is so uneven. It is hobbled by a Deed of Gift drawn up in 1877 and any defender would be crazy to relinquish the advantages it offers.

For instance, under the rules drawn up by the defender, the challengers cannot race on the area of the Hauraki Gulf, which is the most likely stage for the America's Cup races. Imagine in motor racing if Ferrari only had to race the last race of the season against one challenger on a course they decide, in conditions they decide.

No wonder some say that as long as this remains a quirky rich man's playground, it will never make the breakthrough to becoming one of the world's big sporting events that Rogge says is so close. Rogge is a man of insight, and when asked who he thought would win the Cup answered it would be the team who had extra firepower in the locker at the end. Perhaps he had been briefed on the speculation surrounding what is under the secrecy skirt of TNZ's second boat.

Because of that, the chainsaws and plastic surgeons have been operating on Alinghi, Oracle BMW and OneWorld's second boats. It is impossible to keep anything secret in America's Cup alley, the home of all the syndicates, and the new accessory to die for is a body bump under the stern to cheat the water flow and improve performance.