Challenger will begin the defence of the Coronation Cup on Monday during the traditional opening day of the Fitted Dinghy season in St. George's Harbour.

The Sandys Boat Club entry narrowly beat out Contest from the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club for the season's honours last year although Contest, skippered by Somers Kempe, traditionally does well during the opening races.

In fact Contest has been the most consistent boat over recently seasons winning the Coronation Cup in 2002, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008 with Challenger managing to take the cup in 2005 and last year.

And like in 2009, Challenger will be skippered by veteran Martin Siese who will again have four-time Olympian Peter Bromby handling the main sail.

Siese said this week that they have replaced one of Challenger's masts which broke on the final day last summer.

"We have not been out to train yet but we hope to get in a couple of practices before Monday. We pretty well much have the same crew as last year – we do try and have a bit of a squad who can swap in and out.

"Peter will be on the main and we also have Donald Canton, Jerry Burnham – those two will cover the jib – and then we have Lisa Spurling and Owen Siese and Nick Finnigan on bailing duties. That is the main squad. There are few other guys that will come in throughout the season."

Elizabeth from the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club will have the skippering duties shared between John Nicholls and Tim Lynch, said Ed Faries who is head of the club's Fitted Dinghy sub committee.

Faries said: "We will also have Joe DeSilva, Lance Fraser, Jeremy Brosier, Tania Theriault and Nick Smale crewing. We haven't done much work on the boat since we did quite a lot last year although we may paint her again in the next couple of months."

Faries said the crew had been out training with Lynch at the helm but as for the skippering duties during the season "they will play it by ear since it is meant to be shared".

He added: "This time Tim is the backup."

Lynch was the skipper whose of the J24 Erin which sank during the recent Bermuda International Race Week and Faries said: "I told him that was not the practice we want to see and he replied that it was probably very good practice for a Fitted Dinghy!"

Ray DeSilva is expected to skipper Bloodhound in the absence of veteran Jordy Walker as DeSilva had skippered the Maritime Museum entry a few times last season.

Somers Kempe will again be at the helm of RBYC's Contest.

He said this week: "We will be having a different crew participating throughout the season and will include some old and some new faces.

"Roger Mello, William Thompson, Douglas DeCouto, Rockal Evans, Peter Miller, Adam Barboza, Tim Steinhoff, James Mulderig, Dimitri Stevens and Mackenzie Cooper will all be there. We have a strong crew lined up and over the winter the boat had a thorough going over, replacing halyards, sails and had other minor maintenance done so we are looking forward to having a good time this season."

Kempe said he again expects Challenger to come out strong this season and defend the Coronation Cup.

"It looks like the Challenger crew from Sandys will have a solid team again this year and I know the St. George's team has been out practicing a lot this spring and have brought in Mark Soares as the new skipper as Michael Oatley has handed the helm off to him."

While Soares will indeed be skippering Victory from hosts St. George's Dinghy and Sports Club on Monday, he will have former skipper Michael Oatley on board taking care of the main.

Veteran Fitted Dinghy sailor of Victory, David Hillier, said this week: "Last year Mark was on the main and Michael was skipper. But we wanted some new blood on helm this season and Michael agreed step down as helmsman and take over the main sheet.

"I will be there to help train guys on the jib and also help with the spinnaker. We have Giles Spurling and some young boys – Tim Fox is coming back from school and there will be Chris Pimental who is new blood."

Also on Victory will be Hillier's 15-year-old son Calin. "He will be doing the bailing and we have other guys who will fill in. We have been out a couple of times trying to clear away the cobwebs. Hopefully all the boats come out on Monday although I understand it could be bad weather. But it was great to see Bloodhound out last season to make it five dinghies. That extra dinghy calls for different tactics and also makes it more of a spectacle – it looks more impressive with five out sailing."

Hillier has sailed in Victory for 30 years and said: "Michael (Oatley) has been there even longer – about 35 years. It is also nice to get out there with your son."

Calin Hillier is one of those young sailors who are vying for a spot at this summer's Youth Olympics in Singapore and his father David noted that there are other prospective Youth Olympic sailors in the Byte class who will also be competing in the Fitted Dinghies this summer.

"It is great to see. You have Calin and then Owen Siese in Challenger and also Dimitri Stevens and Mackenzie Cooper in Contest. These youngsters are keeping the Fitted Dinghy heritage going."