2010 Gold Cup News

2010 Notice of Race posted at www.argogroupgoldcup.com

Hamilton, Bermuda, April 16, 2010: The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and Argo Group have issued invitations to the 2010 Argo Group Gold Cup to the nine teams holding 2010 World Match Racing Tour Cards and to a select group of match race sailors. The Argo Group Gold Cup has a unique 24-team format.

The Tour Card holders are priority applicants and will be joined by the winners of two qualifier events in the United States and one in Bermuda. The format allows other skippers to request an invitation before May 25th. The Organising Committee plans to notify skippers of their acceptance by mid June.

The Argo Group Gold Cup is the penultimate event of the ten-stage World Match Racing Tour. Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd, an international underwriter of specialty insurance and reinsurance products in niche areas of the property and casualty market, returns as title sponsor for the third year.

The 24-team format of the Argo Group Gold Cup is unique on the World Match Racing Tour. Nine of the team slots are available for World Tour Card holders, three are selected from qualifying events, the Knickerbocker Cup and the Toyota Detroit Cup in the USA, and the Bermuda National Match Race Championship.

The remaining teams are selected by application and invitation from among the top international match-racing sailors on the ISAF ranking list and leading and up and coming sailors identified by the RBYC. By having 24 entrants, room is available for young competitors to take on the world’s best match racers.

The 2010 World Match Racing Tour Card Holders who have been invited to the Argo Group Gold Cup are Adam Minoprio (NZL) BlackMatch, the ISAF Match Racing World Champion (2009), Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team who Finished 2nd in 2009, Ben Ainslie (GBR) Team Origin, 3rd in 2009, Francesco Bruni (ITA) Team Azzura, Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing, Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team, Bertrand Pace (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team, Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team and Ian Williams (GBR) Sail Bahrain.

In announcing Argo Group’s third year of title sponsorship, Mark E. Watson III, President and Chief Executive Officer of Argo Group said, “Argo Group is proud to announce our continued sponsorship of the Argo Group Gold Cup match race tournament. The Gold Cup and Argo make a perfect match as we both strive for excellence at an international level. Racing for the King Edward VII Gold Cup is a great tradition in Bermuda and attracts some of the world’s best crews.”

“Building on the success of the past two years, we look forward to working in partnership with the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club to make this year’s event one of the best ever. We will also be supporting the Family Festival of Sail that takes place on the finals weekend of the Argo Group Gold Cup. The Festival is designed to reach out to the broad Bermuda public and introduce them to the fun lifestyle of sailing”

Commodore Peter Shrubb, a match race umpire himself, thanked Argo Group for its continuing support and said, “Match Racing for The King Edward VII Gold Cup is recognized as one of the premier event on the World Match Racing Tour. It has always been a highlight for sailors and attracts the top sailors in the International Sailing Federation’s and World Tour match race rankings as well as top America’s Cup skippers. In 2008 we introduced sailing to all Bermudans with the first Festival of Sail. That will be bigger and better in its third year in 2010.”

The prize purse for 2010 will be $100,000, with $50,000 going to the winner. Match racing sailors throughout the world are invited to apply for an invitation by contacting Audrey Pope at the RBYC Sailing Office, [email protected].

In addition to Argo Group, key sponsors to date include The Bermuda Department of Tourism as official host, Renaissance Re, Guy Carpenter, and AON. Renaissance Re will once again sponsor the Renaissance Re Junior Gold Cup International Optimist Dinghy regatta sailed in Bermuda’s Great Sound and Hamilton Harbour.

About the Argo Group Gold Cup
Stage 9 of the World Match Race Tour

The Argo Group Gold Cup, sailed for the King Edward VII Gold Cup, is now stage 9 of the World Match Race Tour, the ISAF match-racing world championship. The Bermuda classic is the oldest match-racing competition in the world for one-design yachts. The trophy presented to the winning team was originally given at the Tri-Centenary Regatta at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1907 by King Edward VII in commemoration of the 300th Anniversary of the first permanent settlement in America. C. Sherman Hoyt, a renowned American sailor, won the regatta and was presented with this now historic cup.

Through the years Bermuda has won the Cup 21 times, the United States 17 times, New Zealand 10 times, Australia 5 times, the United Kingdom 4 times, and in 2002 Denmark claimed the King Edward VII Gold Cup for the first time. The 2006 winner was Ian Williams (UK) who defeated a fleet including the 2005 winner, Luna Rosa Skipper James Spithill, who in that year had shut out Russell Coutts’ incredible string of wins. Mathieu Richard of France became the third consecutive first-time winner of the King Edward VII Gold Cup in 2007. In 2008 the cup went to Sweden’s Johnie Berntsson and his Berntsson Racing Team in the final 3-1 victory over Adam Minoprio’s Emirates Team New Zealand/BlackMatch Team. In 2009, Team Origin skipper Ben Ainslie etched his name on the coveted Gold Cup.

The Argo Group Gold Cup is the 9th out of 10 events on the 2010 World Match Race Tour’s World Championship schedule. It is sailed in Hamilton Harbour adjacent to the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. The venue brings world-class match racing close to shore where spectators can easily see the competition.

The 24 invited crews include nine official “World Tour Card” teams and three winners of qualifying events, the Knickerbocker Cup, the Detroit Cup and the Bermuda National Match Race Championship. Teams will be divided into three groups of 8 to sail a round robin elimination series Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The leading 8 skippers go on to the Quarter and Semi Finals, to be sailed on Friday and Saturday respectively.

The Finals take place on Sunday with the top two teams in a ‘first to three points’ head to head battle and the losing semi finalists in a ‘first to two points’ Petite Final. Between the second and third races, the course is taken over for the final race of the Renaissance Re Junior Gold Cup, which will have been underway simultaneously since Thursday in the Great Sound.

The King Edward VII Gold Cup was a founding member of the World Match Racing Tour. The tour is a ten-race series of premier international match race events. It has extensive television coverage and worldwide promotion reaching more than 600 million households in excess of 100 countries. A summary video of tour events can be viewed at http://www.worldmatchracingtour.com/.

About the Argo Group
Global. Powerful. Committed.
Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. (NasdaqGS: AGII), is an international underwriter of specialty insurance and reinsurance products in the property and casualty market. We offer a full line of high-quality products and services designed to meet the unique coverage and claims handling needs of businesses in three arenas: Excess and Surplus Lines, Commercial Specialty, and International Specialty.

Argo Group clients and shareholders alike benefit from our commitment to specialization, deep expertise and dynamic relationships, creating a winning combination for mutual success.

At Argo Group, we've built a company with a fundamental purpose of securing the future and a straightforward vision to achieve outstanding results realized together.

Yes, we specialize in the products and services designed to meet the unique coverage and claims handling needs of businesses in International Specialty, Excess and Surplus Lines and Commercial Specialty. But what does it mean to us as an organization to be an international underwriter of specialty insurance and reinsurance products?

It means creating a tangible excitement with our desire to excel. Holding to our deeply rooted ethics and trust of each other's potential, to give us the daily confidence to do the right thing. Maintaining unwavering interest in the clients we serve, to forge long-lasting connections. And never to lose our trademark combination of intellectual curiosity and creative zeal, which brings bold, far-reaching ideas to our clients as they evolve their own thriving businesses.

Organization-wide, our strategy–easy to define and rewarding to deploy–is to grow hand-in-hand with our clients.

About Bermuda
Although Bermuda is an Atlantic island paradise in its own right, many people mistakenly believe Bermuda is part of the Caribbean. In fact, the island rests hundreds of miles north of the Bahamas, a mere 650 miles east of North Carolina. Flights from New York and other eastern US cities are less than two hours. From London, direct flights are about seven hours.

All of Bermuda fits in a cozy 20.7 square miles surrounded by 75 miles of dramatic coastline. Bermuda is famous for hospitality and sparkling pink-sand beaches. Activities include racquet sports, dramatic golfing, spectacular spas, and cultural festivals in all seasons. Of course Bermuda is famous for sailing as a destination for ocean races from Marion, Newport, and Charleston, for Cruising rallies for other East Coast ports and as host to many national and international competitive events.

From chic international cuisine in posh dining rooms to conch stew and local Rockfish at a roadside café, we have a taste to please every palate and budget. While Bermudians do value island tranquility, we like to have a bit of fun, too. From swanky clubs to friendly neighborhood pubs, these after-hours establishments satisfy every thirst. Cocktail in hand and warm sea breeze at your back, set sail on one of our evening cruises along our famous coastline. 

For details on all the excitement and events Bermuda has to offer, call your travel agent or visit us at www.bermudatourism.com

About The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club
The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club is a private Club and is the third oldest club holding a Royal Warrant outside the British Isles. The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club was established on the 1st of November 1844 by a party of thirty gentlemen, consisting largely of officers in the British Army. There are now approximately 850 resident and non-resident members.

About the World Match Racing Tour
The World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) is the leading professional sailing series featuring 10 World Championship events across the globe, sanctioned by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) with “Special Event” status.

The World Tour awards over US$1.5million in prize money with points awarded at each event culminating in the crowning of the “ISAF Match Racing World Champion”. In addition, an incentive to compete in the world’s premier sailing series just got bigger. A US$250,000 overall prize pool for the top nine teams with a $50,000 bonus for the outright winner of next year’s World Match Racing Tour is now on offer.

Events utilize the same “match race” format used in the America’s Cup with racing in event supplied identical, one design racing yachts to focus action on team work and skill. Racing takes place close to the shore for the general public to follow the races as virtual on-the-water stadiums.

Media and television highlights coverage reaches over 600 million households in excess of 100 countries around the world.

For Argo Group Gold Cup Media Contact:
Talbot Wilson, Talbot Wilson & Associates, Inc.
Tel: +1 (850)432-8170 Fax: +1 (850)432-8050 Mob: +1 (850)217-7138
Email: [email protected] SKYPE: talbotwilson

For Argo Group Contact:
John Narraway
Email: [email protected]

For Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Contact:
Audrey Pope
Email: [email protected]
Tel: (441) 295 2214 Ex 105
Fax:(441) 295 6361

For The World Match Racing Tour Contact:
Name: Audrey Lakai
Tel: + 6 012 502 2206
Email: [email protected]

Name: Carol Wong
Tel: + 6 012 296 9281
Email: [email protected]