The Bermuda Gold Cup will run this October as an integrated 12-team event, with the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club confirming that the standalone women's regatta will take a hiatus this year because of sponsorship pressures.
Over the past two seasons the women's event sat alongside the historic Open Gold Cup as one of the sport's flagship initiatives, giving female sailors a genuine global stage. That standalone format won't run in 2026. RBYC and the World Match Racing Tour say current financial realities have forced the change, though both organisations describe themselves as committed to bringing the women's event back next year.
Instead, leading international women skippers will be officially invited into the expanded 12-team Bermuda Gold Cup field, keeping elite female sailors competing at the top level of the Tour even without a dedicated event carrying their name.
"The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club has prided itself on being at the forefront of supporting the growth of women's match racing," said P/C Somers Kempe, speaking on behalf of the organisers. "While commercial realities require us to be flexible this year, our core values have not changed. Ensuring that the world's best female skippers have a prominent place on the starting line in Bermuda this October remains a top priority for us."
WMRT Executive Director James Pleasance backed the approach.
"The Bermuda Gold Cup is one of the most prestigious events on the World Match Racing Tour, and its commitment to advancing women's match racing has been exemplary," Pleasance said. "While the economic climate has presented challenges this year for the Bermuda Women's Match Race, we support RBYC's approach to integrate top female skippers into the amended 12-team format for the Bermuda Gold Cup while we collectively focus on bringing the standalone women's event back to the calendar next year."
Details of the finalised format and schedule are due in the coming week, when the Notice of Race is published. Official invitations will follow shortly after.
Skippers keen to be considered can contact the RBYC Sailing Office directly at sailing@rbyc.bm.
