The Bacardi Bermuda International Invitational Race Week will feature a new class for youth sailors.

Event organisers have confirmed that some of the Island’s promising sailors will compete in the Youth Laser (4.7 rig) during the upcoming regatta to be held from May 3 to 9.

The new class brings the total number of dinghies to be involved in Race Week to three as the full Laser rig and Comet are also competing on the Bravo Course in the Great Sound.

Meanwhile, the larger International One Design and Etchells are the sole classes being represented in the Keelboat fleet, that will compete on the Alpha Course in the Great Sound this year.

Organisers have not ruled out the possibility of including the Optimist class in the upcoming Race Week and are expected to announce their final decision in the near future.

Race Week will feature more than 140 sailors from six countries, including Sweden, Norway, the UK, Canada and USA.

The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club will once again host Race Week, which is being sponsored by title sponsors Bacardi Limited and host sponsors Bermuda Tourism Authority.

“We are really grateful that Bacardi is back on board as our title sponsor,” Nicole Butterworth, the RBYC sailing secretary, said. “The Bermuda Tourism Authority are sponsoring as well as a host sponsor and we are really glad. “We are really grateful to the both of them for continuing to support the event.”

Butterworth added: “It is going to be a good week of racing. We have three race jurors coming in from overseas as usual, and they are being supplemented by local jurors as well.

“It is going to be good racing and hopefully we get good weather.”