FEARS over the future of the Volvo Ocean Race surfaced in Auckland last week after it was revealed that the organisers had called in consultants to review its format following a stream of criticisms.

Kiwi skipper Grant Dalton, competing in his sixth race on Amer Sports One, recently described the current event as "too expensive and over-managed," while other skippers have spoken privately about the race taking too long with too many stopovers and too much time spent in port.

Entries in the race were down to eight for the 2001/2 event, the lowest of any in the races 28-year history.

Some claimed it was down to its close proximity to the 2003 America's Cup, forcing potential syndicates and sponsors to choose between the two.

Others said the increase in the number of round the world yacht races, as well as the heightened profile of the short-handed events such as the Vendee Globe, had diluted the prestige of the VOR.

The first race in 1973 featured just four legs, but with its growing commercialisation - another five legs have been added - resulting in spiralling bills for sponsors paying for crews to stay in hotels for up to three weeks a time at each of the ten stopovers.

There have also been complaints about the race management with officials coming under fire for being either too heavy-handed or too weak in their application of rules and regulations.

An announcement about the future of the race was supposed to have been made during the Auckland stopover, but was postponed and it was revealed that the organisers were seeking help.

In an interview with the New Zealand Herald this week race chief executive Helge Alten denied the race was in trouble but could give no firm assurances about its future.

"They are looking at what is going well and what we'll change for the future, if anything," Alten said.

"It doesn't show that we are not happy, it shows we are caring about the event enough to spend money to ensure any future events are made even better."

But would there be a future, Alten was asked.

"I can't say that, not yet anyway, but I sincerely hope so. I hope that Volvo, as they have in many other sports, stay involved for a long time."

For those who have followed the race closely, it has been one of the most action-packed in recent times with tantalisingly close racing in every leg.

There have been some intriguing hirings and firings, plenty of gear failure and compelling human dramas, most notably the rescue of sick crewman Kevin Kilpatrick and the departure of Marcel van Triest, who dived off Team SEB to fly home after hearing a family member had died.