The invitation list for Royal Bermuda Yacht Club?s (RBYC) International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Women?s Match Racing World Championship, scheduled for October on local surf, will be based on June?s release of ISAF World Match Race Rankings for Women.

The ISAF and RBYC have previously announced that the Championship will be sailed prior to the King Edward VII Gold Cup in October instead of June as originally planned.

Rankings chosen for invitations have also been changed from January to June to keep the lead-time before the match the same. Invitations will automatically be sent to the top ten ranked women as of June?s official ISAF ranking release.

If any of the top ten do not accept their invitation within the time limit specified, invitations would then be issued to the next ranked woman or women on the list. The other two slots will be offered to last year?s ISAF Women?s Match Racing World Championship winner and another female skipper selected by the Bermuda Sailing Association (BSA).

To assure that the women will be familiar with the boats, organisers have chosen to sail the event in J-24s. This decision should prove popular among the women since most sailors are familiar with the established international class. All boats will be suited with new sails and rigging to assure they meet international race standards.

Historically, the first and second placed finishers of the International Women?s Match Racing event that the world?s replaces have been given an automatic entry to the Investors Guaranty presentation of the King Edward VII Gold Cup. This right will now transfer to the champion and runner-up in the ISAF Women?s Match Racing World Championship who will compete in the Grade One Open Match Race Tournament.

The Opening Ceremony for the Women?s Worlds will be Friday October 14 and the prize giving ceremony to be held on Tuesday, October 18th.

The Gold Cup Qualifier matches in International One Design Class boats (IOD) and Women?s Worlds using J24?s will be sailed simultaneously with no breaks over a four day period.

The Gold Cup itself will be sailed in IOD?s between eight seeded teams matched against six from the Qualifier Series and the champion and runner-up from the ISAF Women?s Worlds.