America’s Cup sailor Francesco Bruni will return to Bermuda to defend his Argo Group Gold Cup title, the event organisers have confirmed.

The Italian, who defeated Britain’s Ben Ainslie in last year’s final in Hamilton Harbour, is among the eight cardholders on the Alpari World Match Racing Tour (AWMRT) to have accepted invitations to compete in the annual match racing competition.

Bruni, who served as tactician with the Italy America’s Cup team, Luna Rossa, during the challenger series for the America’s Cup, is keen to tighten his grip on the prestigious King Edward VII Gold Cup trophy this year.

“We definitely want to repeat last year’s result,” said Bruni, who beat Ainslie, a fellow America’s Cup tactician and the most decorated sailor in Olympic history, 3-2 to claim a maiden Gold Cup title at the second attempt.

Apart from Bruni, AWMRT cardholders for 2014 include Bjorn Hansen, of Sweden, Taylor Canfield, of US Virgin Islands, David Gilmour and Keith Swinton, of Australia, Mathieu Richard, of France, Phil Robertson, of New Zealand, and Ian Williams, of Britain.

Williams, Canfield and Richard are all former Gold Cup winners.

Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, the host for the Gold Cup, sent automatic invitations to the eight AWMRT cardholders.

An additional nine invitations went to leading sailors in the ISAF Match Race Open Rankings and former Gold Cup participants who have performed at a high level over the years on the match-racing scene.

Unless they have already accepted from an invitation, two further entries will automatically come from the qualifying events, the Bermuda National Match Race Championship and Knickerbocker Cup.

The Gold Cup will be sailed with the same 20-team format that was used for the first time last year.

The event will be held from October 21 to 26, with the RenaissanceRe Junior Gold Cup will take place from October 23 to 26.