America's Cup winners Russell Coutts and Dennis Conner head the list of seeded skippers for October's Colorcraft Gold Cup, to be raced in Hamilton Harbour.

The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club (RBYC) made the announcement this week, as the build-up to the prestigious event began in earnest. Still to be announced are 16 unseeded international skippers.

The club have already received 30 requests for invitations, several from prominent America's Cup sailors.

Rounding out the list of seeds are: Ed Baird (United States), Dean Barker (New Zealand), Peter Gilmour (Japan), Andy Green (United Kingdom), Magnus Holmberg (Sweden), and Peter Holmberg (US Virgin Islands).

"This is the most outstanding field we have ever seen for the Gold Cup,'' said RBYC Commodore Somers Cooper. "It holds the promise of close and spectacular competition.

"It will be the biggest gathering of America's Cup talent since New Zealand defended the Cup in Auckland last March.'' Coutts will be number one drawing card as the reigning two-time Americas Cup winning captain and five-time Gold Cup champion.

Meanwhile, the `love him or hate him' Conner draws attention wherever he shows up. Although a four-time Americas Cup winner, he has his critics. But by the same token he commands respect.

Now in its 52nd year, the Gold Cup is raced in 33-foot International One Design (IOD) sloops on short windward-leeward courses.

The event gets underway on October 22, with qualifying rounds for the 16 unseeded teams. The finals will be sailed on October 29, followed by the prizegiving.

Adding an extra element of suspense, the event will be the finale of the Swedish Match Grand Prix Sailing Tour. A French team headed by Bertrand Pace are leading the series, while Team New Zealand represented by Dean Barker are in second place.

If Pace or his delegated skipper doesn't make the unseeded list and fails to sail in Bermuda, Barker must still finish second or better to collect the first prize of $50,000 for the tour.