The owners of the cargo ship Bermuda Islander yesterday said that their service would be unaffected by next month’s America’s Cup races.

The Bermuda Islander is due to arrive in Hamilton on Thursday, October 15 — when the inaugural races take place, with two finishing in Hamilton Harbour.

But George Butterfield, manager at Myer Freight, agents for Bermuda International Shipping Ltd, which operates the Bermuda Islander, said: “The Islander is a very easy ship to offload and Stevedoring Services have assured us that delays will be minor.

“All other BISL voyages, prior and after the event, will not be affected. We are working closely with our customers and they have booked cargo accordingly.”

The Royal Gazette reported yesterday that Stevedoring Services, which runs Hamilton docks, had turned over a third of their dock space for nearly two weeks so four of the competing teams can base themselves on the harbour for the races.

But Stevedoring Services’ chief executive officer Warren Jones said careful planning and co-operation from importers would ensure cargo services continued to run smoothly.