NEW FLEET USHERS IN EXCITING NEW ERA FOR BERMUDA GOLD CUP

Hamilton, Bermuda – 13 October 2026 – A new chapter in the illustrious history of the Bermuda Gold Cup begins this week as 12 of the world’s leading match racing skippers prepare to battle for one of sailing’s most coveted trophies on the waters of Hamilton Harbour.

The penultimate stage of the 2026 World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) marks a significant milestone for the prestigious event, with a brand-new fleet of eight Fareast 28R keelboats replacing the iconic International One Design (IOD) boats that have long been synonymous with the Bermuda Gold Cup.

Traditionally raced with asymmetric spinnakers, the Bermuda Fareast 28Rs have been specially retrofitted with symmetric spinnakers, allowing competitors to sail deeper downwind angles and creating the potential for closer and more aggressive match racing.

While the retirement of the historic IOD fleet from Gold Cup competition marks the end of an era, the introduction of the modified Fareast 28Rs promises to preserve the event’s reputation for delivering some of the most demanding match racing on the world tour.

The new fleet was officially blessed during a ceremony on Friday evening, with the Bishop of Bermuda, Nicholas Dill, sprinkling holy water across the bow of each of the eight boats.

Berntsson chases historic fourth consecutive Gold Cup

Leading the charge this week is Sweden’s Johnie Berntsson, who returns to Bermuda chasing an unprecedented fourth consecutive Gold Cup victory.

Berntsson swept past Ian Williams (GBR) in last year’s final to achieve the first Bermuda Gold Cup hat-trick since the event adopted its modern format in 1985. It was the Swede’s fifth victory in the event, second only to three-times America’s Cup winner and Olympic champion Sir Russell Coutts’ record of seven victories.

World Match Racing champion Williams is in action, with Christian Hamilton joining the crew alongside Richard Sydenham and Jon Gunderson, who formed part of Williams’s winning WMRT world championship crew from the final in Shenzhen in January.

Adding strength to the line-up are four of the world’s leading female match racing skippers, headed by six-time Women’s World Match Racing Champion Pauline Courtois (FRA) and her Match in Pink team.

Courtois will face formidable competition from Sweden’s Anna Östling, who returns to Bermuda following her victory in last year’s women’s regatta, alongside fellow Swede Martina Carlsson and American skipper Allie Blecher.

With a new fleet, a world-class international field and one of sailing’s most historic trophies at stake, the stage is set for a thrilling week of competition in Bermuda.