Eight-time International One Design (IOD) world champion Bill Widnall heads the list of overseas skippers due to compete in Bacardi Invitational Race Week later this month.

Widnall and a host of international competitors are poised to rub hulls, scrape paint and challenge for bragging rights among eight classes against local skippers during the annual regatta.

Other top skippers due to converge on local surf are US Olympic trialist Ken Yellot, 2002 Race Week IOD runner-up Ken Ferrar and female IOD skipper Jennifer Miller. So far a total of 41 overseas skippers have signed up for the week-long regatta with numbers expected to increase prior to the registration deadline.

Festivities start with the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club (RBYC) welcoming cocktail party on Saturday, April 24. Race Week concludes on Friday, April 30 with a prizegiving ceremony at RBYC.

Tuesday, April 27 has been designated a spare day.

This year sees both the Comet and Snipe classes making a return after a one-year absence.

Local skippers ruled the waves last year, taking top honours in all but two classes. Craig Davis (IOD Vrengen Gold Cup), Mark Cloutier (J-105 BW Walker Memorial Trophy), Martin Vezina (Laser) and Peter Bromby (Etchells KF Trimingham Trophy) left all rivals in their wake en route to victory.

Canadians Rudy Wolfs and Ali Meller captured the J-24 and 505 classes respectively.

Bermuda?s Olympic Star Class skipper Bromby will not compete in the Etchells fleet this year, a class the highly world ranked skipper has dominated in recent years.

In addition to the Comets and Snipes, J-24s, J-105s, Etchells, IOD, Lasers and 505s make up the remainder of classes set to compete in the Great Sound.

Inaugurated by the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club in 1952, Race Week has become a premier international yachting fixture, attracting top skippers from Europe, Canada, USA and the UK each spring.

All classes with an active racing programme in Bermuda can invite international sailors to participate.