Racing Championship.

But more than just the Black Seal Cup -- bestowed upon the winner of the series of head-to-head matches involving identical J-24 sailboats -- is up for grabs.

In addition, the first and second-place teams will see their entry fee paid into the Bermuda Gold Cup, the annual match-racing event involving the world's top professional yachtsmen, scheduled to begin on October 4.

And the three Bermudian skippers who qualified for the Gold Cup last year are back again in attempt to make a return trip. A late withdrawal opened up the extra spot a year ago.

Defending national champion Peter Bromby, Adam Barboza and Glenn Astwood -- all of whom advanced into the championship round of the Gold Cup -- will be joined in this weekend's regatta by Jonathan Corless, Richard Hornett, Andreas Lewin, Paula Lewin and Jordy Walker.

Racing takes place in Hamilton Harbour beginning tomorrow before wrapping up late on Sunday afternoon.

The format calls for a round-robin series in which each all eight teams take turns racing each other. The four teams with the highest scores will advance and the skipper with the highest score from the round-robin will select his or her opponent in the best-of-five semi-final. The two semi-final winners race each other for the Black Seal Cup.

The two teams which win entry into the Gold Cup will have the opportunity to vie for the $60,000 purse against the likes of Russell Coutts, Ed Baird and Peter Gilmour.

As for the Black Seal Cup, Bromby, after a quiet summer, could be the one to watch. But the Lewins, currently skippering two of the top three top-placed boats in Fitted Dinghy racing, may provide a challenge. Paula is ranked 50th in the world -- second among women -- while Andreas crewed for skipper Christian Luthi to win the prestigious Anna Roed Bell Trophy in International One Design sailboats.

Walker, a former commodore of the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, is the 1977 Gold Cup champion.