HAMILTON, Bermuda (18 June, 2026) — The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club (RBYC), alongside the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT), has announced an update regarding the format for the upcoming Bermuda Gold Cup, scheduled to take place this October 13th-18th.
Following recent changes in the event’s sponsorship landscape, organizers have adapted the format of this year’s regatta. Over the past two years, the inclusion of a dedicated women’s event alongside the historic Open Gold Cup has been a flagship initiative for the sport, providing a vital global platform for female athletes. While current financial realities mean the standalone women’s event will take a brief hiatus this year, both RBYC and WMRT remain fiercely committed to its long-term future and are already looking ahead to its return next year.
An Integrated 12-Team Format
To ensure that elite women skippers remain at the heart of the competition in Bermuda, the regatta will transition to an integrated 12-team Bermuda Gold Cup format for the 2026 edition. Under this structure, official invitations will be actively extended to leading international women skippers, ensuring they continue to compete at the highest level of the World Match Racing Tour.
This adaptive format reinforces the shared mission of RBYC and WMRT to champion inclusivity, maintain high-level pathways for female sailors, and safeguard the incredible momentum achieved in women’s match racing over recent seasons.
“The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club has prided itself on being at the forefront of supporting the growth of women’s match racing,” said P/C Somers Kempe, speaking on behalf of the organizers. “While commercial realities require us to be flexible this year, our core values have not changed. Ensuring that the world’s best female skippers have a prominent place on the starting line in Bermuda this October remains a top priority for us.”
WMRT Executive Director James Pleasance reiterated the Tour’s support for the event’s evolution:
“The Bermuda Gold Cup is one of the most prestigious events on the World Match Racing Tour, and its commitment to advancing women’s match racing has been exemplary,” said Pleasance. “While the economic climate has presented challenges this year for the Bermuda Women’s Match Race, we support RBYC’s approach to integrate top female skippers into the amended 12-team format for the Bermuda Gold Cup while we collectively focus on bringing the standalone women’s event back to the calendar next year.”
Further details regarding the final event format and the official schedule will be announced in the coming week with the publication of the Notice of Race. Official invitations will be issued shortly thereafter.
Interested skippers who wish to be considered for an invitation are encouraged to contact the RBYC Sailing Office at sailing@rbyc.bm.
World Match Racing Tour:
Contact: media@wmrt.com
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