World number one match racing skipper Mathieu Richard of France will begin the defence of his King Edward VII Gold Cup title in Hamilton Harbour today.

Richard and Team French Spirit finished third at the Troia Portugal Match Cup in Portugal last week and if all goes accordingly he hopes to tighten his grip on the coveted Gold Cup, the oldest match racing trophy in the world for competition involving one-design yachts.

Another good showing in Bermuda this week would enhance Richard's chances of wresting a maiden World Match Racing Tour title as he presently trails current leader and reigning world champion Ian Williams and Team Pindar by 15 points with two races remaining in a three-team battle for a championship destined to go right down to the wire.

"Last year we sailed very well and had a great week but this is a new year and a new competition and so we have to try and do our best.

"We know that we have a good team that can sail very well and so we have to focus on ourselves and try to sail very good," Richard told The Royal Gazette.

On the way to winning a maiden Gold Cup last year Richard ousted match racing heavyweight Stephen Lindberg in the semis and then saw off Sweden's Bjorn Hansen in a hurry in the final.

Richard began sailing at age 11 in the Optimist dinghy and is a four-time French champion in Optimist and the 420 classes.

He began match racing in 1998 and is also a past Marseille International Match Race, Congressional Cup and Nations Cup winner.

Richard is confident he can retain his Gold Cup title in Bermuda this week and remain on course for the overall World Match Racing Tour title.

"It (Gold Cup) is very interesting because we have three teams fighting for the world tour which is very exciting of course. Each team is in a different group but of course we will be keeping an eye on them," the world's top ranked match racing skipper added.

Richard tops Group One, reigning world match racing champion Williams is the top dog in Group Two while recently crowned Troia Match Cup champion Sebastien Col is the favourite in Group Three.

Gold Cup racing starts this morning off the Island's capital where the first stage, involving all 24 teams, will feature round robin competition within three groups divided into eight teams. Prior to the start of racing on each day a draw will be held to determine which boats the skippers will compete in on a rotated basis.

The eventual top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals, leaving the third and fourth place finishers from the group stage to face off in a repecharge round robin to determine the final two quarter-final spots.

Winners of the Gold Cup will earn valuable points towards the World Match Racing Tour Championship that concludes later this year in Malaysia at the Monsoon Cup.

"It's very close with only two races to go.

"We won here last year and so there is some pressure.

"But we are confident because we know that we can sail well here," Richard added.

"Col (Sebastien) is very good and has sailed very good over the past month but this is his first time here and in these boats (International One Design), and these conditions, are very different as well.

"But first we must focus on ourselves and we are confident and very motivated having sailed here before."

Also challenging for top honours in this year's Gold Cup are three-time Olympic Gold medallist Ben Ainslie, last year's runner-up Hansen, Frenchman Damien Iehl, Aussie Torvar Mirsky and Switzerland's Eric Monnin, a five-time Gold Cup veteran.

Flying Bermuda's flag all alone is 2008 Bermuda National Champion Blythe Walker who turned heads two years' ago when he won the Gold Cup petite final to finish third overall among a world class fleet.

"We have already proven that we can compete at this level," said Walker, who will again be joined onboard by crew Somers Kempe, Carola Cooper and Adam Barboza.

Bermuda's sole Gold Cup hopeful has his work cut out having been pitted in Group Three against the likes of Col and Mirsky, yet still reckons his chances of advancing from the round robin phase are as good as any of his famous rivals.

"There is never a thing such as an easy group. It's every man's opportunity on the day.

"If we are on top of our game and thinking clearly, then we will have just as good a chance of beating these guys as we have in the past," Walker said.

American Sally Barkow, a multiple past Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Award recipient, is the sole women skipper competing in this year's $100,000 Gold Cup presented by Argo Group.

The 2008 Gold Cup will also showcase the Renaissance Re Junior Gold Cup later in the week as well as the inaugural Bermuda Festival of Sail.