The 73rd Bermuda Gold Cup began with immediate drama on Hamilton Harbour, featuring a collision and an eight-time World Champion asserting early dominance.
The iconic match racing event literally started with a bang as New Zealand’s Nick Egnot-Johnson collided with France’s Ian Garreta in the opening flight.
Despite the early chaos, British sailing legend Ian Williams (sponsored by Pindar) and Switzerland’s Eric Monnin rose to the top of the leaderboard, both going undefeated. Williams was delighted to be back but admitted the classic IOD (International One Design) yachts are always a challenge: “The IODs are so much fun to sail and very challenging… we’re starting to figure it out.”
Meanwhile, the Aspen Bermuda Women’s Match Racing Tour is shaping up for a thrilling week. Three skippers emerged from the opening salvo with perfect records: Sweden’s Anna Östling, Denmark’s Lea Vogelius, and USA’s Nicole Breault.
Vogelius secured a crucial win over defending champion Pauline Courtois but suffered a loss to American Lindsey Baab. Breault and Östling also traded blows with top competitors, setting the stage for escalating drama as the round-robin stage continues.
