of top sailors from the Olympics and America's Cup that has been added to the final skipper's list for the $65,000 Colorcraft Gold Cup.

The New Zealand native, a previous Gold Cup winner, now based in San Francisco as skipper of Oracle Racing Challenge for the America's Cup, was one of 12 unseeded skippers selected yesterday to match race during preliminary rounds in Hamilton Harbour.

Also among the group were Britain's Chris Law, a highly successful fleet and match racer, and another Kiwi, John Cutler, who skippered Dawn Riley's America True challenge and is now a member of Dickson's Oracle team.

Eight qualifiers from the group will meet eight seeded entrants in the first round of the competition. Still to be added to the final list is one more unseeded skipper, plus the top two Bermudians emerging from the Gosling's Black Seal Cup, and the winner of the York Cup match race regatta in Toronto, both set for later this month.

"The calibre of contestants for the Colorcraft Gold Cup this year is quite extraordinary,'' said Somers Cooper, commodore of the host Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. "The defender and every major challenger for the next America's Cup are represented, with the exception of Italy's Prada Challenge Syndicate.

"Many of these skippers have competed here before. We will see a week of tough, no-holds-barred sparring before the new champion is named.'' But while Dickson stands as a very real challenge to the title won a year ago by Britain's Andy Green, reigning America's Cup champ Russell Coutts still stands as the man to beat in the eyes of many.

Coutts, who emerged from the shadow of Dickson to take the lead role in the match racing game, has some five Gold Cup titles to his credit -- the last in 1998 -- and few would bet against the mercurial Kiwi adding a sixth.

Adding an extra element, the event is the finale of the eight-event, year-long Swedish Match Grand Prix Sailing Tour. A French team headed by Bertrand Pace is leading that series, while Team New Zealand represented by Dean Barker is in second place.

Pace has elected not to sail in Bermuda, but he can delegate a skipper to represent him in order to have a chance to claim the first prize of $50,000 for the Tour.

Now in its 52nd year, the Colorcraft Gold Cup will be raced in 33-foot International One Design sloops on short windward-leeward courses inside the cozy confines of Hamilton Harbour, within view of spectators ashore.

Racing gets underway October 22, with qualifying rounds for the 16 unseeded teams, while the final is slated for October 29.

Unseeded skippers: Josh Adams (US), Cameron Appleton (NZ), Dalton Bergan (US), John Cutler (NZ), Chris Dickson (NZ), Jes Gram Hansen (DEN), Chris Larson (US), Chris Law (UK), Inga Leask (UK), Sten Mohr (DEN), Murray Jones (NZ), James Spithill (AUS).

Seeded skippers: Ed Baird (US), Dean Barker (NZ), Dennis Conner (US), Russell Coutts (NZ), Peter Gilmour (AUS), Andy Green (UK), Magnus Holmberg (SWE), Peter Holmberg (USVI).

Bermuda will be sending two teams of five to the J-24 World Championships to be hosted in Newport, Rhode Island later this month.

Skippers Jonathan Corless and Sheilagh Tasker will lead the local charge overseas, each carrying four member crews.

Corless earned the right to take part by winning this year's National Championships, while Tasker goes on the tails of her seizing the title in 1999.

Racing commences September 25, with nine races scheduled.