Canfield: Defending Gold Cup is a dream

Match racing for the King Edward XVII Gold Cup Trophy is scheduled to start October 8 in Hamilton Harbour.

The finals are scheduled for Sunday, October 13.

Taylor Canfield, (USVI) USone Sailing Team, confirmed he will be back to defend his 2012 title in the Gold Cup.

He said: “I am most definitely looking forward to coming back to Bermuda to defend our Argo Group Gold Cup title.

“USone Sailing Team is ecstatic to be a 2013 Alpari World Match Race Tour Card Holder.

“Making the Tour has been a dream of mine for several years now. While we are the ‘rookie’ team this year we are looking forward to giving it our all.

“Hopefully, we’ll be carrying over some of the momentum from the end of the 2012 season including our win in the Gold Cup. There is an incredible line-up on the Tour this year and it is an honour to sail against the best. The Argo Group Gold Cup is a great event on the AWMRT.

“It allows younger up and coming teams to get a taste of the tour and a chance to compete against the best in the world.

“Having sailed in three Argo Gold Cup’s as a non-tour card holder, we are really looking forward to return as a part of the AWMRT.

“While the boats — classic, full-keeled IODs — are quite unique compared to boats in any other venue, the variety of sailing conditions and beautiful, but variable weather make this event one of the best in the world.

“Bermuda has been an incredible place to sail. I started in the RenRe Junior Gold Cup and now I’m going back to Bermuda as title defender… it’s a dream.”

Automatic invitations went to the eight Alpari World Match Racing Tour Card Holders and eight more invitations went to top sailors in the ISAF Match Race ‘Open’ Rankings, to some past participants in the Gold Cup and to skippers with top match racing records over a number of years on the match racing scene.

Four more entries, unless they have already accepted, automatically come from winners of qualifying events — the Knickerbocker Cup and the Detroit Cup in the USA, the Polish Match event and the Bermuda National Match Race Championship.

Adam Minoprio (NZL) BlackMatch, another Tour Card Holder, has also accepted along with the great French match racer Mathieu Richard. Richard was a Gold Cup champion in 2007.

Alpari World Match Racing Tour Card Holders for 2013 include Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Stena Sailing Team, Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Sailing Team, Adam Minoprio (NZL) BlackMatch, Pierre-Antoine Morvan (FRA) Vannes Agglo Sailing Team, Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing Team, Keith Swinton (AUS) Black Swan Racing, Taylor Canfield (USVI) USone and 2012 Tour winner Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar.