Aspen announced Title Sponsorship of Bermuda Women's Match Racing Regatta, Skippers confirmed

Aspen announced Title Sponsorship of Bermuda Women's Match Racing Regatta © Ian Roman / WMRT

The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and World Match Racing Tour today announced leading speciality insurer and re-insurer Aspen as title sponsor of the new (inaugural) Aspen Bermuda Women's Match Racing Regatta to take place alongside the 71st Bermuda Gold Cup from 29 October to 3 November in Hamilton Harbour. It is the first time that Bermuda will host two world-class match racing events on the same racecourse: the Bermuda Gold Cup (for the King Edward VII Gold Cup) and this new all-female event.

This inaugural regatta will also host the final event of the 2024 Women's World Match Racing Tour season, marking the first time the women's world tour will be hosted in Bermuda since it was launched in 2022. The Aspen Bermuda Women's Match Racing Regatta will award a prize purse of USD 40,000, the highest prize on the women's tour in 2024.

"Equity and inclusivity lie at the heart of Aspen's culture and the ability to support women in sport aligns well with that ethos" commented Mark Cloutier, Executive Chairman and Group Chief Executive Officer of Aspen. "We are proud to sponsor the Aspen Bermuda Women's Match Racing Regatta that we hope will not only provide great competition on the water but will also create lasting camaraderie amongst the teams and be an inspiration to women across the globe."

"Royal Bermuda Yacht Club is incredibly proud to announce the upcoming Aspen Bermuda Women's Match Racing Regatta, to run alongside the annual Bermuda Gold Cup." added RBYC Commodore Rebecca Roberts. "This event will bring together some of the world's best female sailors for an exciting competition, highlighting the growing prominence of women in sailing, and fostering both fierce competition and strong camaraderie."

Leading independent offshore bank and trust company Butterfield Group joins the Women's event as a Supporting Sponsor. Bermuda-based global reinsurance provider RenaissanceRe also returns as long-term sponsor to the 71st Bermuda Gold Cup, as well as their 20th consecutive year as title sponsor of the RenaissanceRe Junior Gold Cup, an invitational event for Optimist sailors to be staged from 29 Oct - 2 Nov.

Eight teams will compete from 29 October to 3 November including world rank #2 Anna Östling and her WINGS team from Sweden, also current defending Women's World Match Racing Tour champion.

Three-time Women's Match Racing World Champion Pauline Courtois, and current women's #1, from Brest, France will also be returning to Bermuda with her 'Match in Pink' team from Normandy. Courtois is currently competing as a member of the French Orient Express Racing Team challenging for the Puig Women's America's Cup in Barcelona and will head to Bermuda when the America's Cup draws to a close in mid-October. Courtois has an opportunity to clinch the 2024 Women's WMRT title in Bermuda, along with New Zealand's Megan Thomson/ 2.0 Racing and Julia Aartsen's Team Out of the Box from the Netherlands.

Completing the women's skippers is Great Britain's Sophie Otter, Australia's Juliet Costanzo and Denmark's Kristine Mauritzen and Lea Vogelius.

71st Bermuda Gold Cup

The line-up often skippers is also confirmed for the 71st edition of the Bermuda Gold Cup which will take place over the same six days from 29 October to 3 November in Hamilton Harbour.

A historic and popular event with match racing sailors around the world eager to etch their name on the century-old King Edward VII Gold Cup, the Bermuda Gold Cup has once again attracted an impressive roster of the world's top open match racing sailors, including defending 2023 champion Johnie Berntsson from Sweden, current world rank #1 Chris Poole from the USA, and 2022 Match Racing World Champion Nick Egnot-Johnson from New Zealand.

Accepting the Youth invitation to the 71st Bermuda Gold Cup is current Youth Match Racing World Champion,21yr old Cole Tapper from representing the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in Sydney. Tapper will also be arriving in Bermuda straight from Barcelona, Spain where he is currently skipper of Team Australia Challenge competing for the Youth America's Cup in the AC40 foiling yachts.

Completing the line-up of ten teams is Switzerland's Eric Monnin (Capvis Swiss Match Racing Team), Mati Sepp from Estonia, Gavin Brady (USA), Jeppe Borch (DEN) and Dave Hood from the USA. Representing Bermuda will be Bermuda's Kelsey Durham who has competed in several pervious Gold Cup events.

The 2024 Bermuda Open Gold Cup is kindly sponsored by the Bermuda Tourism Authority, Aspen, Renaissance Re and Goslings.

Visit the Bermuda Gold Cup, World Match Racing Tour and Women's Racing Tour Women's World Match Racing Tour for more information.

BERMUDA GOLD CUP 2024 SKIPPERS' LIST*

1. Chris Poole (Open Ranking #1, USA)
2. Johnie Berntsson (Open Ranking #2, SWE)
3. Eric Monnin (Open Ranking #3, SUI)
4. Gavin Brady (Open Ranking #5, NZL/USA)
5. Nick Egnot-Johnson (Open Ranking #8, NZL)
6. Jeppe Borch (Open Ranking #9, DEN)
7. Mati Sepp (Open Ranking #11, EST)
8. Cole Tapper (Open Ranking #24, AUS)
9. David Hood (Open Ranking #28, USA)
10. Kelsey Graham (Open Ranking #630, BER)

ASPEN BERMUDA WOMEN'S MATCH RACING REGATTA 2024 SKIPPERS' LIST*

1. Pauline Courtois (Women's Ranking #1, FRA)
2. Anna Östling (Women's Ranking #2, SWE)
3. Megan Thomson (Women's Ranking #3, NZL)
4. Lea Vogelius (Women's Ranking #4, DEN)
5. Julia Aartsen (Women's Ranking #6, NED)
6. Kristine Mauritzen (Women's Ranking #8, DEN)
7. Juliet Costanzo (Women's Ranking #13, AUS)
8. Sophie Otter (Women's Ranking #14, GBR)

*Rankings are current as of 1 September 2024 (www.sailing.org)