have been confirmed for this year's Bermuda Gold Cup.

And hosts Royal Bermuda Yacht Club yesterday named Coutts and seven other of the top 18-ranked sailors as seeded skippers for the $60,000 match-racing regatta which takes place from October 5-12 in Hamilton Harbour.

The eight seeds will line up in what is the world's oldest match racing tournament in one-design yachts.

Coutts, who also won in 1990, 1992 and 1993, will be joined by 1995 winner Peter Gilmour, the current World Match Race Champion by virtue of his July victory in Sweden, and Ed Baird. The trio are currently ranked one, two and three in the rankings.

"We're thrilled with this year's line-up of sailors, which confirms the significance of the Bermuda Gold Cup and its preeminence at the top of the professional sailing circuit,'' RBYC Commodore Tom Miller said.

Filling out the list of seeded skippers are Peter Holmberg (ranked seventh), Magnus Holmberg (number ten), Jochen Schumann (13), Luc Pillot (14) and Britain's Andy Beadsworth (18). Nearly all of the seeded skippers and many of the round robin entrants are involved in America's Cup campaigns, demonstrating the importance of the Gold Cup and others, Smith added.

The format calls for the 16 unseeded teams -- each pay an entry fee -- to compete on October 5 and 6 in round-robin qualifying races. The top eight move into the championship round where they are paired against the eight invited skippers in best-of-five matches.

Finals for the King Edward VII Trophy are another best-of-five on October 12.

Once again, two berths for Bermuda teams will be up for grabs, thanks to the Gosling's Black Seal Cup, which doubles as the National Match Racing Championships on August 16-17.

Peter Bromby and Glenn Astwood were last year's qualifiers.

Previously known as the Brut Gold Cup, the regatta yesterday announced that Renaissance Re is returning as sponsor.

"We're proud to support this international event,'' said Jim Stannard, president of the Bermuda-based reinsurance company. "The Gold Cup is an important competition for visitors and Islanders alike. It's a great opportunity to entertain our international business clients at an exceptional competition in an unsurpassed location.'' Other renewing sponsors include Continental, Bermuda Department of Tourism, Gosling Brothers, Bermuda Commercial Bank, Stevedoring Services, Wedgwood and the Newstead/Waterloo House.

The Gold Cup dates back to 1907 when the King Edward VII Gold Cup was given to Sherman Hoyt by its namesake after Hoyt won the Tri-Centenary Regatta in Jamestown, Virginia. Hoyt donated the trophy to the RBYC in 1937 for the race to be established then as the Bermuda Gold Cup.