The
next Cup would be similar if Team NZ win (27/02/03)
(source
: Stuff.co.nz)
It was said Bertarelli had
a strategy to "professionalise" the cup, making it
better organised and more appealing to commercial
sponsors, television and the public.
From NZ point of view, America's Cup executive director
Tony Thomas gave an assurance that if Team New Zealand
retained the America's Cup, the next series would
be similar to the present event.
The main change he would look for next time would
be to bring the commercial aspects of the challengers'
Louis Vuitton Cup and the America's Cup closer together.
That could involve bringing such things as sponsorship
and television rights into one organisation.
The impression he had from Alinghi was that if they
won the cup they would like to bring the sport under
one organisation, which they would want to control.
"I don't know what the challengers would think of
having a challenger series that might be run by the
defender... but I think there would be a lot of commercial
sense in it," he said.
"But from a sporting point of view, if you're a traditionalist,
the challengers run their series and the defenders
runs their series... that's been running for 150 years".
"I think people are making suggestions, but they're
not necessarily understanding the sport," he said.
"It's a challenger-driven regatta,".
"When it (the cup) came to New Zealand it changed
and it changed for the better", he said. "And
if it goes to Europe it will change again. It will
be an evolving event." The cup would be a bigger event
in Europe than it was here, he explained.
Any move to eliminate challengers early would suit
the team defending the cup because their opposition
would have less competition.
"The approach we've always taken in New Zealand is
the more challenges we have in New Zealand, the better
it is for New Zealand." Thomas cautioned about taking
away the core values of the America's Cup.
Another comment on Sunday by Prince Albert, a member
of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), was
that it would be an "excellent idea" and an "interesting
and symbolic link" if the IOC and its structures were
to help Alinghi, should they win the cup, in their
dealings with the next host venue.
The guidelines used by the IOC in choosing host venues
for summer and winter Olympic Games could be a meaningful
model, once adapted for the America's Cup, he said.
His comments follow those of IOC president Jacques
Rogge, made during a visit to Auckland last December,
that an independent and neutral ruling organisation
was needed for the America's Cup.
Alinghi spokesman Bernard Schopfer said the syndicate
were making no comment on their plans for now.
Download
