some great news for two Bermuda sailors.

A hastily-called press conference yesterday brought confirmation that Paul Caynard had been forced to drop out of the $100,000 match-racing classic because of America's Cup commitments.

That left his spot open for Peter Bromby, who won the Bermuda national match-racing championships on Sunday but was unseeded for the Gold Cup, while Adam Barboza, originally left out after his third place showing in the finals, takes over Bromby's spot.

Glenn Astwood, second behind Bromby on Sunday, rounds out what is being dubbed Team Black Seal.

By joining the seven other seeds, including Russell Coutts, Ed Baird and Peter Gilmour, Bromby is assured a place in the championship round beginning on October 9. He's also eligible for the $5,000 Bermuda Commercial Bank Challenge the previous day.

The move also saved his sponsor, Gosling's, the entrance fee money, which it used instead to bring Barboza aboard.

Bromby was a "natural choice'' to fill in for Caynard, said Royal Bermuda Yacht Club spokesman Somers Cooper.

The Bermuda Olympian, widely regarded as the Island's top sailor, is ranked only 96th in the Omega World Rankings but Cooper said that "doesn't accurately reflect his standing.'' The rankings are based on international match racing appearances -- of which Bromby has had precious few because of preparations for the Atlanta Games.

Previously ranked as high as 16, Bromby competed in the Gold Cup in 1993, beating the seeded Markus Wiesner before losing to the Coutts, the eventual champion, in a close, controversial match.

Bromby yesterday took his promotion in stride and was far from awed at the prospect of meeting the world's finest racers.

"We're capable of beating them on any given day and they're capable of beating us on a given day,'' he said.

Bromby did make a change to his three-man crew, however, dropping long-time partner and Olympic team-mate Lee White in favour of Blair Simmons. The move was made in order to meet the 770-pound weight limit imposed on the equally-prepared 33-foot International One Design sloops.

At about 155 pounds, Simmons is a good fit for the bow position, Bromby said, noting that White weighs in at over 200 pounds. Veteran Bermuda sailor Penny Simmons and Dennis Correia round out the Bromby team.

Bromby was especially happy to be reunited with Simmons, whom he views as a second skipper. "He's a guy I respect very much. You don't go to five Olympics and not learn anything,'' said Bromby.

White will still be at the Gold Cup -- he's caught on with Astwood's team, joining Paul Fisher and Eddie Bardgett. Bromby acknowledges that seeing White on an enemy boat will present a "friendly rivalry'' within the competition.

Barboza has named Bob McCutcheon, Paul Wring and Peter Shrubb as his crew.

The 28-year-old said he was delighted to receive the call telling him he'd be entering another Gold Cup fray. Barboza has crewed for several skippers and was himself an unseeded skipper the past two years, advancing to the championship round in 1994.

He's also confident, noting that the fleet "isn't as loaded as it was last year. Some of the seeded skippers this year were unseeded last year.'' First raced in 1937, the Gold Cup will be the 48th edition of what is considered the premier match-racing event in the world. It features the largest field -- 24 teams from 13 countries -- of any match-racing event, with $30,000 going to the winner.

GOING FOR GOLD -- Some of the Bermuda sailors who will be contesting next month's $100,000 Brut Gold Cup in Hamilton Harbour. Back row (from left) Adam Barboza, Lee White, Paul Wring and Peter Bromby. Front row (from left) Eddie Bardgett, Bob McCutcheon, Glenn Astwood and Penny Simmons.

HOW THEY LINE UP Seeded skippers 1. Russell Couts, New Zealand 2. Ed Baird, United States 3. Peter Gilmour, Australia 4. Chris Law, United Kingdom 5. Thierry Peponnet, France 6. Peter Holmberg, US Virgin Islands 7. Markus Wiesner, Germany 8. Peter Bromby, Bermuda Unseeded skippers 1. Jochen Schumann, Germany 2. Henrik Lundberg, Finland 3. Per Pettersson, Sweden 4. Helena Strang, Sweden 5. Terry McLaughlin, Canada 6. Andrey Nikolaev, Russia 7. Hannah Swett, United States 8. Johan Peterson, Sweden 9. Glenn Astwood, Bermuda 10. Adam Barboza, Bermuda 11. Steve Benjamin, United States 12. Bill Buckles, United States 13. John Burnham, United Sates 14. Ben Cesare, United States 15. Roman Hagara, Austria 16. Murray Jones, New Zealand