Former champion Johnnie Berntsson is among the international skippers confirmed for the 71st Bermuda Gold Cup match racing regatta, which will take centre stage in Hamilton Harbour from October 2 to 7.

The Swede is a two-time winner of the prestigious King Edward VII Gold Cup and has also finished runner-up on four occasions.

Also confirmed are Switzerland’s Eric Monnin, Frenchwoman Pauline Courtois, Denmark’s Jeppe Borch and Australian Harry Price.

Borch and Price, who will be making their second appearance at the event, are past recipients of the Jordy Walker Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the most-improved sailor.

Among those on the preliminary entrant list are England’s Ian Williams and Ted Blowers, Americans Taylor Canfield, Peter Holz, Dave Hood and Chris Poole, and New Zealand’s Nick Egnot-Johnson, the reigning match racing world champion.

Taylor is a three-times winner, and reigning champion, while Williams has two titles under his belt.

Poole recently won the Congressional Cup in California, where he went undefeated in 24 races on the way to the title.

This year’s racing fleet will also include the winner of the Oakcliff International, to be held in Oyster Bay, New York, from September 5 to 9.

Canfield defeated Williams in a penalty-filled final when the Bermuda Gold Cup was last held in conjunction with the Open Match Racing World Championship in October 2020.

Jon Corless, the regatta chairperson and past Royal Bermuda Yacht Club commodore, is looking forward to another exciting regatta featuring elite sailors competing in the International One Design sloop.

“We’re absolutely delighted to have the Bermuda Gold Cup back on the international sailing calendar,” he said. “It was a challenge to pull off the 2020 Gold Cup in the year of Covid, and the virus had a lasting impact the past couple of years in Bermuda.

“We’re looking forward to a competitive regatta with many familiar faces and the world’s top match racers.”

The format for the regatta will again consist of a round robin, repechage, quarter-final, semi-final, petite final and final.

For further details visit the Bermuda Gold Cup and World Match Racing Tour websites.