by Talbot Wilson
Hamilton, Bermuda (September 18, 2011)— It's just a matter of days until the twenty-four Argo Group Gold Cup teams take to the practice course in Bermuda's Hamilton Harbour. They all need to hone their match racing skills in the Classic International One Design sloops sailed in Stage 7 of the 2011 World Match Racing Tour.
Boat handling and tactical decisions in the traditional heavier boats used for the Argo Group Gold Cup will decide the champion and winner of $50,000 of the $100,000 total prize purse. Racing starts October 4th.
As the hottest sailor on the Tour these days, everybody's man to beat is Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar. He is on top of both the Tour rankings and the ISAF Open standings going in. But you have to remember how tough it is to win in Bermuda. After winning the 2006 Gold Cup, Williams finished 5th in 2008 and 3rd in 2009, and he was eliminated early in 2010 by a complicated tiebreaker. He will have a lot of new sailors to meet on the course who may bring different and unpredictable tactics into play.
An accomplished sailor but newcomer to Bermuda and IOD sailing, Francesco Bruni's (ITA) Bruni Racing Team was on top of the Tour leaderboard earlier in the season, but has slipped of late. Before the Tour points adjustment for the cancelled Danish Open, Bruni is just one point behind Williams. Aggressive practice for him and his team is essential. Dialing into the IOD sailing style early, during Tuesday's opening Qualifying Session, will be critical if he is to move on into the final eight.
Standing 3rd on the Tour, Torvar Mirsky (AUS) and The Wave Muscat team are not new to Bermuda but have never won the Gold Cup. In 2010 Mirsky came to Bermuda with high hopes but fell to some newcomers himself and ended the week in 8th place, matching his 2009 performance.
As the senior member of the Tour, Peter Gilmour (AUS) heads up YANMAR Racing. He is now 4th on the Tour and has perhaps the most experience sailing IOD's and sailing on Hamilton Harbour. He put his name on the Cup in 1995, 1997 and 2003, and will look to emulate that in what is his third decade of Gold Cup competition. In his last Bermuda appearance, the always aggressive Gilmour suffered from a string of penalties that led to his demise.
Other Tour Card Holders with their names on the Cup returning to Bermuda are Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team, Mathieu Richard (FRA) with his French Match Racing Team, and Jesper Radich (DEN) of Team Adrian Lee & Partners who was runner up in 2010, and the winner in 2002.
Not to be missed is Bermuda's top IOD match racer Blythe Walker (BER) with Team RenaissanceRe. Blythe cut his teeth sailing IOD's in Bemuda with his father, the late B. W. "Jordy" Walker and his uncle Penny Simmons - both Bermuda national champions and international champions. He has sailed in many Gold Cup regattas placing in the money with a 4th in 2007 and a 7th in 2009.
Two other young Bermuda Skippers will enter the fray. Lance Fraser returns for his second Argo Group Gold Cup in a row and Peter Miller will be at the helm in his first Grade 1 match racing event. It is quite an experience for these young skippers and their teams to face the top sailors in the world on their home waters. The twenty-four team format used in Bermuda makes it all possible.
Skippers racing in the 2011 Argo Group Gold Cup include —
| Skipper | Current WMRT Ranking | ISAF Ranking | Country | Racing Team |
| Williams, Ian | 1 | 1 | GBR | Team GAC Pindar |
| Bruni, Francesco | 2 | 2 | ITA | Bruni Racing |
| Mirsky, Torvar | 3 | 3 | AUS | The Wave Muscat |
| Gilmour, Peter | 4 | 11 | AUS | YANMAR Racing |
| Hansen, Bjorn | 5 | 4 | SWE | Mekonomen Sailing Team |
| Iehl, Damien | 6 | 17 | FRA | French Match Racing Team |
| Richard, Mathieu | 7 | 7 | FRA | French Match Racing Team |
| Radich, Jesper | 8 | 9 | DEN | Adrian Lee & Partners |
| Berntsson, Johnie | 9 | 16 | SWE | Berntsson Sailing Team |
| Robertson, Phil | 10 | 10 | NZL | WAKA Racing |
| Monnin, Eric | 15 | 13 | SUI | Oklays Corum Sailing Team |
| Swinton, Keith | 17 | 20 | AUS | Black Swan Racing |
| Canfield, Taylor | 32 | ISV | Team ISV | |
| Corbett, Reuben | 14 | NZL | Aon Racing | |
| Ferrarese, Simone | 23 | ITA | Ferrarese Racing Team | |
| Lindberg, Staffan | 12 | FIN | Alandia Sailing Team | |
| Pawluk, Jakub | 111 | POL | Sailing Poland | |
| Jury, Laurie | 14 | NZL | Zoke Kiwimatch | |
| McLaughlin, Terry | CAN | McLaughlin | ||
| Walker, Blythe | BER | Team RenRe | ||
| Reece, Jordan | 34 | AUS | Reece | |
| Pearson, Sam | 135 | UK | Team Wight Match | |
| Miller, Peter | BER | |||
| Fraser, Lance | BER |
Match racing starts October 4th in the 2011 Argo Group Gold Cup hosted by Bermuda Tourism at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. This penultimate event on the World Match Racing Tour is truly a spectator sport. The Royal Bermuda YC welcomes Bermudians and island guests to view the racing on Hamilton Harbour from the club's marina wall. Finals weekend, October 8th-9th, is a sports spectacular.
Live coverage of the action will be available daily at http://www.wmrt.com. The 'WMRT Morning Show' and 'WMRT Today Show' with Hannah White are also shown on http://www.wmrt.com, providing a preview and wrap up of the racing each day from Hamilton Harbour.
For more information about the Argo Group Gold Cup, go to http://www.argogroupgoldcup.com
Argo Group Gold Cup Media Contact:
Talbot Wilson, Talbot Wilson & Associates, Inc.
Tel: +1 (850)432-8170
Fax: +1 (850)432-8050
Mobile: +1 (850)217-7138
Email: [email protected]
SKYPE: talbotwilson
Argo Group Contact:
Lisa Scannell VP - Mkting & Communications
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +1 (617) 478 5206
Mobile: +1 (857) 205 9668
Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Contact:
Nicole Butterworth, Sailing Secretary
Email: [email protected] Tel: (441) 295 2214 Ex 105
Fax:(441) 295 6361
WMRT Contact:
Audrey Lakai
Mobile: + 6 012 502 2206
Email: [email protected]
WMRT Press information:
contact Capitalize:
Rupert Hains
Tel: +44 (0) 207 940 1700
Mobile: +44 (0) 7887 993 240
Email: [email protected]
About Argo Group:
Working Together to Serve Specialty Markets
Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. (NasdaqGS: AGII), is an international provider of specialty property and casualty insurance, reinsurance and managed risk solutions. The companies that make up Argo Group share a firm commitment to working together with our independent agents and wholesale and retail brokerage partners to deliver innovative products for niche markets.
Argo Group clients and shareholders alike benefit from our deep understanding of the markets we serve, our ability to manage through all insurance cycles, our well developed and prudent risk management practices and controls, and our track record of growth and profitability.
Through our operating companies, we offer a comprehensive line of high-quality products and services designed to meet the unique coverage and claims-handling needs of our clients in four business segments: Excess and Surplus Lines, Commercial Specialty, Reinsurance and International Specialty, which includes our Lloyd's syndicate.
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. 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 ISAF World Match Racing Tour
The World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) is the leading professional sailing series featuring 8 World Championship events across the globe, sanctioned by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) with "Special Event" status.
The World Tour awards over US$1.75million in prize money with points awarded at each event culminating in the crowning of the "ISAF Match Racing World Champion". The prize fund includes a US$500,000 overall prize pool for the top nine teams in the Championship.
Events take place in identically supplied racing yachts to place the focus 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 in excess of 183 countries around the world.
For more information, please visit: www.wmrt.com