Blythe Walker, the local skipper, admits the opportunity to sail in the International One Design sloop at the Argo Group Gold Cup for potentially the last time was just too good to pass up.

The IODs have featured in the World Match Racing Tour event since the late 1950s but could be replaced by the high-performance M32 catamaran.

“We decided to throw our hat back in the ring given they may be shifting into catamarans,” said Walker, who is making his first appearance in the Gold Cup for four years. “I thought why not try and get in one last time while it’s the IODs.”

After the announcement of Aston Harald AB’s acquisition of the World Match Racing Tour in June, there has been a shift in emphasis towards the M32 for next year’s competition.

The Stena Match Cup has already announced that it will be raced in new M32 multihulls and James Pleasance, the tour’s executive director, has made clear his ambition to extend use of the M32 across more events on the series, including the Gold Cup.

At least one M32 will be on display when the Gold Cup begins in Hamilton Harbour tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Walker and his Team RenRe crew have been placed in group one, which includes Ian Williams, the former champion and five-times world match racing champion, who will head up Team GAC Pindar. The group also contains Johnie Berntsson and Stena Sailing, the defending champions.

“Those are some pretty solid performers,” said Walker, who placed third at the 2006 Gold Cup after beating Swiss rival Eric Monnin in the Petit final. “We are going to have a tough time, especially since we haven’t raced in a long time.”

Walker is competing in the Gold Cup with an unchanged crew from last month’s Bacardi Bermuda Match Racing Championships where Team RenRe finished second to Dean Barker’s SoftBank Team Japan to claim the sole local qualifying spot up for grabs.