A new app will take users on a guided tour of the island’s sailing heritage as Bermuda prepares for the international boating race SailGP.

The race organisers partnered with the Bermuda Tourism Authority for May as heritage month, with the races scheduled for this weekend.

The Seafarers Tour, guided by an app for smartphones, is part of the Cedar and Sail programme highlighting Bermuda’s long sailing history, leading to innovations such as the Bermuda Rig and the Bermuda Sloop.

It will take participants on a tour to historical landmarks across the island, with guests choosing either an eastbound or westbound route.

Setting off from the BTA’s Hamilton Visitors Service Centre on Front Street, the tour heads to some of the island’s first sailing clubs.

It includes the story of the piloting legend James “Jemmy” Darrell, an enslaved man who won his freedom after a nautical feat in 1795.

Lookouts and other landmarks feature on the westbound tour to Dockyard.

Family sailing stories handed down through the years can be submitted to the project at www.cedarandsail.bm.

Tom Herbert-Evans, SailGP’s youth programme manager, said Bermuda “has to be one of the best sailing venues for SailGP”.

“Looking deeper into the island’s maritime history, it is evident the amount of knowledge and influence that has impacted the design of most modern day racing yachts, including our F50s.”

Charles H. Jeffers II, chief executive at the BTA, said: “SailGP is a pinnacle sporting event for the island even beyond the spectacular sailing.

“Their support of our Cedar and Sail initiative shows the power of partnership, and the impact of tourism initiatives on our community.”

Mark Clarke, a maritime consultant and member of SailGP’s local steering committee, said the project marked an exciting opportunity for “our rich maritime history to be recorded and shared”.

He said: “The campaign should help dispel myths that minimise the historical footprint of some of our maritime pioneers and shine light on Bermuda’s diverse sailing heritage.

“My hope is that this knowledge will continue to instil national pride in our residents and showcase to the world why Bermuda is set to reclaim its status as a global mecca of sailing.”