Argo Group Gold Cup will go ahead

After Hurricane Gonzalo strikes mid-Atlantic island

The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club has announced that the Argo Group Gold Cup is still set to sail, albeit on a compressed schedule, starting this Wednesday, 22 October.

Using the one-day-delay plan announced last Wednesday, the Argo Group Gold Cup will be compressed into five days of racing and organizers will take advantage of the better weather expected after Gonzalo.

Stage six of the 2014 Alpari World Match Racing Tour was threatened when the mid-Atlantic was hit by Hurricane Gonzalo and winds of over 130 mph. Fortunately by the time the eye of the hurricane passed over Bermuda on Friday night it has been official downgraded from a Category 4 hurricane to a Category 2 one. On Saturday afternoon officials reopened the causeway that links the Bermuda International Airport to the Hamilton end of the island with the first flights around on Sunday afternoon (filled with Argo Group Gold Cup sailors).

Past Commodore Brian Billings, Chairman of Argo Group Gold Cup sent the following communication to the competitors on Saturday:
"Commodore Kempe spoke with the Governor of Bermuda this morning who expressed his hope that the storm will not stand in the way of the Argo Group Gold going forward in true Bermuda style.

"The Argo Group Gold Cup organizing committee met at 3:00 this afternoon to review our status and we are happy to report that we are proceeding as planned to host the Argo Group Gold Cup with practice on Tuesday and racing beginning on Wednesday October 22th .

"The causeway to the airport is now open and flights are expected on schedule Sunday. British Airways has re-booked many of the people due in Saturday to Sunday’s flight.

"There was minor roof damage at the club which will not impact our facilities. The terrace and our famous bar will be open for business as usual Monday.

"We need eight IODs [International One Design sailboats used for the AGGC]. We normally have two spares. One of our spare IODs was damaged and we working on a replacement. Our Race Committee boat Cleopatra was unharmed as were our fleet of inflatable umpire boats.

"We are checking with all our hosts to ensure that they can accommodate the competitors. While some hosts have had damage and may be running on auxiliary power or candlelight almost all are ready to welcome our guests and backup arrangements are in progress where there is a problem.

"We look forward to a fabulous hurricane party in the form of the 2014 Argo Group Gold Cup!"

13 countries are represented in the 2014 Argo Group Gold Cup. The matches will be sailed with the same 20-team format used in 2013. This Argo Group Gold Cup format is unique on the Alpari World Match Racing Tour. It allows for two 10-team groups. Skippers in each group are ranked and divided by Alpari World Match Racing Tour officials and the organizers at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.

Rankings in the groups are based on AWMRT and ISAF rankings and other performance factors. Each group will sail a 10-team round-robin. Each group's top four teams move directly to the Quarter Finals.