Bermuda's Lance Fraser had to finish his final training session early yesterday morning . . . before heading back to the classroom at Warwick Academy.

At just 17, he will be the youngest-ever skipper in Argo Group Gold Cup history when the prestigious event gets underway in Hamilton Harbour today.

"I did get detention last week because I was out practising for this event, so I better get back to class," he joked after a brief trial run around the course.

"I really don't want to get knocked out of the Gold Cup early because that means I have to go back to school for the rest of the week."

As teams arrived from around the globe, Bermuda's young skipper was finishing up his homework to clear the decks for his team's debut.

Teams who make it through the round-robin go on to the quarter-finals and put themselves in line for substantial prize-money.

But Fraser, still too young to drink, would have to celebrate quietly should he reach the latter stages of the event.

The team was formed only in mid-September, sailing for the first time together, but by no means are they inexperienced sailors.

Although they will be tested as a team for the first time today, Olympic Laser hopeful Rockal Evans, J-24 sailing ace Jorge Chiapparro and dinghy sailor Gareth Williams have all competed at international level.

Fraser has been match racing since he was 12 years old and has won three consecutive Bermuda National J24 match racing championships, once as skipper at age 15. He then earned an invitation to the Bermuda National Match Racing event, finishing second overall.

In 2009, he competed at the Governor's Cup in California and as practice crew at last year's Gold Cup.

"This is a big opportunity for all of us to sail against these guys and our first race tomorrow will be against Adam Minoprio," said Fraser. "It is our big chance to turn heads and learn."

Minoprio and his team from New Zealand are currently number two on the World Match Racing Tour and are the reigning world champions.

The young Kiwi burst on the scene about the same age as Fraser and had the added benefit of taking part in match racing training camps in his home country as a youth.

The young Bermudian and his team-mates know it will be tough facing Minoprio first but they retain that youthful optimism and know that their rival is only a few years' older and "beatable."

"We grew up sailing here in Bermuda and this is really our opportunity to test ourselves against the best in the world. We want to win as much as possible, go fast and see what happens," said Williams.

"I just really want to feel competitive," added Evans.

"We would love to win races because when I come to a regatta I come to win," Chapparro noted. "We want to try and let them know we are here."

Bermuda's Blythe Walker and his team were also out practising yesterday afternoon and will bring a great deal of experience and teamwork to the water with his core team of Adam Barboza, Will Thompson, and Somers Kempe.

Walker has finished third and fourth in the Bermuda Gold Cup in 2006 and 2007 and in 2009 he placed seventh overall.

"Today's training session is about getting out on the boat and getting my head out of the office," Walker said. "Seeing the opponents and getting our team together out on the water again are key. Our team has been together for three years now and we are ready. We just have to see how it goes."