Bermuda Gold cup

oct6 2013 goldcup sClick to enlargeHamilton BERMUDA, Oct 6, 2013 – Argo Group Gold Cup Sailing Instructions have been posted on the event website at  and with them the all important 10-team Groups for the qualifying Round Robin have been set.

Taylor Canfield (ISV) USone, the reigning champion and #1 in the ISAF Open Rankings leads Group 1. Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar, #2 by ISAF, current leader on the Alpari World Match Racing Tour heads up Group 2. Both are past King Edward VII Gold Cup winners. 

The unranked ‘wildcard’ Sir Ben Ainslie (GBR) Ben Ainslie Racing Team (BART), sponsored by Argo Group— a two-time winner of the Gold Cup, five time Olympic medalist and 2013 America’s Cup winner— fell into Group 2 with countryman Williams. Mathieu Richard (FRA) GEFCO Match Racing Team, another previous Gold Cup winner, also landed in Group 2. 

Adam Minoprio (NZL) Team Alpari FX is seeded second in Group 1. He is ranked 33 by ISAF because he has been relatively inactive in match racing outside of the Tour events and hasn’t accumulated points. Minoprio is tied with Canfield in the number 2 spot on the Tour. He was knocked out in the 2012 Quarter Finals by Williams. 

Also in Group 1 is Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Stena Sailing Team. He was the 2008 Gold Cup winner and was beaten by Canfield in the 2012 finals. Berntsson likes the IODs and will be looking for his first win on the Tour this year. 

Stage 1 for the Gold Cup is the Qualifying Round-Robin. Each team will race each of the other teams in its group once. The top four from each group move up to the Quarter Final Series. The Quarter Finals are a ‘first to three points’ knock out series. 

The winners in the Quarters move on to the Semi Finals. They are also ‘first to three points’ knock outs. The Quarter and Semi Finals are scheduled for Friday and Saturday. The ‘first to two points’ Petite Finals and ‘first to three points’ Finals are scheduled for Sunday.

GROUP 1

SKIPPER TEAM COUNTRY
Taylor Canfield USone ISV
Adam Minoprio Team Alpari FX NZL
Keith Swinton Black Swan Racing AUS
Johnie Berntsson Stena Sailing Team SWE
Francesco Bruni Luna Rossa ITA
Simone Ferrarese Ferrarese Racing Team ITA
Eric Monnin Swiss Match Race Team SUI
Marek Stanczyk   POL
Christopher Poole Riptide Racing USA
Lance Fraser Digicel Business BER

GROUP 2

SKIPPER TEAM COUNTRY
Ian Williams Team GAC Pindar GBR
Bjorn Hansen eWork Sailing Team SWE
Phil Robertson WAKA Racing NZL
Mathieu Richard GEFCO Match Racinåg Team FRA
Pierre-Antoine Morvan Vannes Agglo Sailing Team FRA
Ben Ainslie Ben Ainslie Racing Team GBR
William Tiller Full Metal Jacket NZL
Nicolai Sehested TREFOR DEN
Chris Steele 36 Below Racing NZL
Joshua Greenslade RBYC Sailing Academy BER

Bermuda Weather Service forecast calls for windy conditions early in the week. A frontal passage later on Thursday will bring northerly winds to Bermuda.

Tuesday - Winds southeasterly 16 to 22 knots... Scattered showers with a risk of thunder and fair to poor visibility...

Wednesday - Winds south-southeasterly 12 to 18 knots, with strong gusts in showers, veering south-southwesterly 10 to 15 knots later...

Thursday - Winds southwesterly 10 to 15 knots, veering northwesterly 8 to 12 knots later...

Previews and daily videos will be posted on the Argo Group Gold Cup Website at www.argogroupgoldcup.com/argo-group-goldcup-video and on the Tour site at www.wmrt.com

The Renaissance Re Jr Gold Cup is scheduled for Oct 10 - 12 in Bermuda's Great Sound and concludes on the Hamilton Harbour Gold Cup course Sunday, Oct 13. With 13 international champions and entries from 17 countries overall, the world's best will compete in a regatta that includes some 40 Bermudians ranging in age from nine to 15. For more on the Jr Gold Cup, go to renrejrgoldcup.com

Visit Bermuda for the Argo Group Gold Cup

October is a perfect month to vacation in Bermuda and the Argo Group Gold Cup is a showcase event culminating in the finals weekend October 12th-13th. Special rates for Gold Cup week are available at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel. www.fairmont.com/hamilton-bermuda/

This year will mark the 63rd staging of the King Edward VII Gold Cup, with previous winners including some of the greatest names ever to match race. Since the event was reformatted to be an event under the Match Racing Association in 1985, multiple winners include Chris Dickson (NZL), Russell Coutts (NZL), Peter Gilmour (AUS), and Ben Ainslie (GBR).

The 2013 Argo Group Gold Cup runs from October 8th with Finals scheduled for October 13th. Spectator friendly racing is held in Hamilton Harbour, adjacent to the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Marina, a spectacular attraction for tourists and Bermuda residents alike.

The Argo Group Gold Cup is the penultimate fifth stage of the Alpari World Match Racing Tour, in which the teams compete for the ISAF Match Racing World Championship. Match racing for The King Edward VII Gold Cup is recognized as one of the classic heritage events on the Alpari World Match Racing Tour.

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:
SKYPE: talbotwilson

Argo Group Contact:
Lisa Scannell VP - Mkting & Communications
Email: Tel: +1 (617) 478 5206
Mobile: +1 (857) 205 9668

Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Contact:
Nicole Butterworth, Sailing Secretary
Email:
Tel: (441) 295 2214 Ex 105
Fax:(441) 295 6361

Alpari World Match Racing Tour Contact:
James Pleasance
Mobile: +44 7711 130886
Email:

Alpari World Match Racing Tour Press Information:
Vicky Pounds, Media & Communications Manager
Alpari World Match Racing Tour
Mobile: +44 7921 020845
Email:

About Argo Group:

Working Together to Serve Specialty Markets
Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. (NasdaqGS: AGII), is an international provider of specialty proper 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, International Specialty and Syndicate 1200 at Lloyd's.

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. www.argolimited.com

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 Alpari World Match Racing Tour

The Alpari World Match Racing Tour (AWMRT) is the leading professional sailing series featuring seven World Championship events across the globe, sanctioned by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) with "Special Event" status.

The Alpari World Match Racing Tour awards over US$1.72million 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 Tour Bonus for the top teams in the Championship.

Events take place in identically supplied racing yachts to place the focus on teamwork and skill. Racing takes place close to the shore so that spectators and fans can follow the racing in a virtual on-the-water stadium.

Media and television highlights coverage reaches in excess of 183 countries around the world distributed by IMG. For more information, visit www.wmrt.com

2013 Alpari World Match Racing Tour Calendar:
Stage 1: May 15 - 20 - Match Race Germany, Langenargen, Germany
Stage 2: May 28 - June 2 - Korea Match Cup, Gyeonggi, South Korea
Stage 3: July 1 - 6 - Stena Match Cup Sweden, Marstrand, Sweden
Stage 4: August 6 - 11 - Chicago Match Cup, Chicago, USA
Stage 5: Oct 7 - 13 - Argo Group Gold Cup, Hamilton, Bermuda
Stage 6: Dec 2 - 7 - Monsoon Cup, K.Terengganu, Malaysia

2013 Tour Card Holders:
Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Stena Sailing Team
Taylor Canfield (ISV) USone
Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Sailing Team
Adam Minoprio (NZL) Team Alpari FX
Pierre-Antoine Morvan (FRA) Vannes Agglo Sailing Team
Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing
Keith Swinton (AUS) Black Swan Racing
Ian Williams

About Alpari

The association of Alpari companies ("Alpari") serves global clients from offices in over 20 countries. Locations include London, New York, Tokyo, Shanghai (Representative Office), Dubai, Moscow, Mumbai and Frankfurt.

Alpari is more than a forex broker, it's a complete trading service, offering cutting-edge trading technology and free research and training packages. Alpari provides forex trading services worldwide on a range of cutting-edge trading platforms, including the popular MetaTrader 4 (MT4). Alpari has been working with the developers of MT4 since the beginning and that is why we are able to offer a unique trading package on the platform. Trading accounts start from USD200 and traders can use software programmes called Expert Advisors to automate their trading.

Alpari has a dedicated global sponsorship programme because the company believes in sharing its passion with individuals, teams and supporters who value excitement, determination and loyalty as highly as we do. Our global sponsorship portfolio helps us reach out to traders and potential traders in key regions around the world.

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