Sailing: OneWorld shattered in three seconds

If tension is the vital ingredient of any sport, the Louis Vuitton Cup finally provided it in huge quantities on the water, rather than in the bitter arguments ashore, as Oracle BMW put in another feisty performance to go 2-0 up against OneWorld Challenge in their best-of-seven semi-final repêchage.

Once again Chris Dickson, Oracle's skipper, handed the starting job to Peter Holmberg, took over to steer the first upwind leg, and then handed the helm back to Holmberg for the remainder of the race. It is an odd tactic, but it works, and Holmberg was coolness itself when, on the final leg, James Spithill was able to roll over Oracle and put OneWorld's bow temporarily in front. Then Holmberg managed to do the same and Oracle's bow was in front across the finish, by just three seconds, the tightest margin since racing began in October. Oracle needs just two more wins to join Alinghi of Switzerland in the final next month. OneWorld, still at minus one point because of a one-race penalty for breaking design rules, needs to win five.

In the continuing mix of venom and wacky races that has become the signature of this America's Cup, Oracle has found itself this weekend at the centre of what spokes-person Joanna Ingley has labelled a "smear campaign". Documents purporting to show that the syndicate acquired design and performance information from its predecessor, AmericaOne, were anonymously delivered to a local news agency and paper. The syndicate also unveiled ideas about flying a kind of parasail from the mast to create extra forward force.

That ploy is unlikely to fly in anger and is of far less significance than the rule-stretching false hull thought to be on one of Team New Zealand's yachts. It has been passed by the chief measurer, and is expected to bring a decisive advantage to enable TNZ to retain the Cup. But it has yet to be proven, although Alinghi are working flat out on their own version.

Where New Zealand, or specifically Auckland, the City of Sails, may lose out is in also being a shoo-in choice as a stopover for the next Volvo Ocean Race in 2005-2006, even though it will be where the race's new chief executive, Glenn Bourke, will announce on 10 February the route and new boat.

Brief consideration was given to switching to multihulls but, not least because of the carnage in the recent Route du Rhum, the new boat will be a monohull. It is expected that it will have a standard rig, including furling headsails, and standard keel and bulb, and be capable of being sailed by a smaller crew than the 12 required on the VO60, which is being retired.

The drive has been to reduce the cost of taking part, which would be reinforced by having fewer stops. That is where Auckland would miss out if the race goes direct from Australia, Bourke's home country, to South America. Some hope the race, which could start in the Mediterranean in late October, would return to Fremantle, though Melbourne is also interested, and Sydney hosted the 2001-2002 race.

South Africa and North America remain on the agenda and thought is again being given to running races within legs, such as the blue riband run across the Atlantic from New York to the Lizard.