Bermuda's one-design keelboat and dinghy fleets face a tough group of international competitors in this year's Bermuda International Invitational Race Week which starts on Sunday and continues until April 30.

Keelboats classes on the Alpha course on the Great Sound will be International Etchells, International One Design (IOD), the J24s and the J105 class.

This year only the Lasers will compete on the Bravo Course which will also be sailed in the Great Sound, but out of the Spanish Point Boat Club in waters near the club's beach facility.

Festivities start with the welcoming party on Saturday and conclude with the prize giving on Friday, April 30 with the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club again playing hosts.

International competitors will start arriving from Australia, Sweden, Norway, Canada, US and the UK to join up with the usual strong contingent from Bermuda.

In the IOD Class, two former IOD world champions return – Tony Huston from the IOD Long Island Sound Fleet and Bermuda's own Penny Simmons who is a five-time world champ. They are early favorites.

The current North American IOD champion, John Pulverman, representing the Chester Nova Scotia IOD fleet, will also be competing in Bermuda for the first time.

The Etchells class has seven entries, one less than in 2009. Local Etchells ace Tim Patton is back to defend his 2009 title, and he'll be joined by local sailor Martin Vezina who finished fourth in 2009.

Malcolm Graham-Taylor will also be representing the local fleet. The only returning foreign skipper in the Etchells class is Jason Owen of London, seventh in 2009. Jason Buxton travels from Australia to enjoy Bermuda Race Week.

On the other hand the J24 class has almost doubled this year, growing from seven to 12 boats. Bermuda's Trevor Boyce will defend his win from 2009 and this week top local junior sailor Lance Fraser made a last minute switch from the J24 class to compete in the Etchells class.

Allan Williams and his Bermuda partners will defend their 2008 and 2009 title in the J105 class. Williams won the class in 2009 by 10 points and didn't even sail the final race of their 11-race series.

The lone foreign entry in the J105 class is Mark Cloutier. Previously a mainstay of Bermuda J105 sailing, Cloutier will be racing under the Canadian flag.

Race Week is sponsored by Bermuda Premium Spirits Limited, local distributors of Bacardi® rum.