strongest line-up of competitors in the event's history.

Six of the top 10 ranked skippers in the world, and a total of 24 representing 10 nations, will compete for the King Edwards the VII Trophy from October 17-25 in Hamilton Harbour.

The Gold Cup is the world's oldest match racing prize in one-design yachts and this year offers $60,000 in prize money.

Seven American's Cup syndicates will be represented at the event.

Among the top ranked skippers who have entered are Peter Gilmour (world number one), Chris Law (ranked two in the world), Peter Holmberg (3rd), Russell Coutts (5th), Markus Weiser (6th), Gavin Brady (8th) and Paul Cayard, winner of this year's Whitbread Round the World race.

Is it the competition amongst the world's best skippers or the sailing venue and the hospitality of the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club that results in the calibre of entries each year at the Bermuda Gold Cup? A survey of ranked skippers undertaken in 1995 concluded that the regatta was the most popular event on the match racing calendar. Three years later there are many more events of a similiar quality of competition.

The Bermuda Gold Cup is one of 15 Grade One events that comprise the World Match Racing Association's World Professional Tour. With the America's Cup beginning in the waters off Auckland, New Zealand in just over a year's time, training is more valuable than ever to the comtenders.

And the match racing circuit has proven to be the best place to hone skills for the Cup competition.

In addition to the skippers from around the globe who will gather in Bermuda, three Bermuda sailors will be part of the line-up; Peter Bromby, Paula Lewin and Glenn Astwood, selected by virtue of their respective first, second and third place finishes in the Gosling's Black Seal Cup hosted by the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club two weeks ago.

Lewin, who is the second ranked woman sailor in the world, and Astwood will comprise Team Black Seal at the Gold Cup.

The racing format utilized at the Gold Cup has long been a feature of the regatta, and continues to attract a broad range of talent to the event because of the opportunity it provides to lower ranked sailors.

A total of 24 sailors are accepted to compete and of those, eight are seeded in a tennis-tournament-type draw. The other 16 skippers compete in a double round robin qualifying series to win the other eight places in the first round of the championship and the right to sail against a seeded skipper.

Eight skippers proceed into the quarter-final draw, four into the semi-finals and then there are two sailors for the title.

Coutts, of New Zealand, is the most successful skipper in the recent history of the Gold Cup, with four wins to his credit. Aussie Gilmour, who is currently leading the Nippon Challenge, has won the title twice.

Over the years, only three other skippers have better records. Bermudian A.F.

Darrell holds the all-time record with six wins in the 1950s, while his countryman C.A. Hooper dominated in the 70s with a total of five championships. American Bill Widnall won the event five times in the late 70s and early 80s.

The racing will take place in 33-foot International One-Design yachts, equipped to make the results more dependent on the skill of the crew rather than on the boat's speed. Competition takes place just offshore in the natural amphitheatre that Hamilton Harbour provides.

Live commentary is broadcast on-shore at the public park at Albuoy's Point where spectators are welcomed.

The play-by-play is handled by the so-called `Voice of Yachting', New Zealander Peter Montgomery who is well known to Bermudians after many years of Gold Cup commentary.

Across the harbour from the RBYC, local broadcaster Jay Hooper performs a similiar task. For many years, Hooper, son of C.A. Hooper, has brought his own considerable sailing background to the task of broadcasting race updates. For those further afield, regular updates are provided on the event website (http:/www.rbyc.bm) and during the final races, live play-by-play is also provided there. ESPN will air a 30-minute broadcast of highlights of this year's event.