Reigning King Edward VII Gold Cup champion Mathieu Richard will be looking to pick up where he left off last year when he triumphantly raised the coveted showpiece after defeating Sweden's Bjorn Hansen 2-0 in the best-of-three final in Hamilton Harbour.

Richard, presently the International Sailing Federation's (ISAF) top ranked match race skipper in the world, won last month's St.Moritz Match Race in Switzerland and placed third at last week's Troia Portugal Match Race in Portugal after dominating the round robin phase of the event.

The Frenchman is a veteran of four Gold Cups and was runner up in 2006 before making the big breakthrough last year with crew Team French Spirit.

"We sailed very well in 2006 and 2007 with the same crew," Richard recalled.

"In 2008 we again have the same crew for the third time in a row, so I really believe that we can have a very good result."

Richard said he looks forward to being reacquainted with the International One-Design (IOD) and sailing in Bermuda's "tricky" weather conditions.

"We feel very good in the International One-Designs. I love the tricky conditions that we often have in Hamilton Harbour," he added.

"Experience sailing in the IODs helps a lot because the IOD are very specific and different from the other boats we are used to sailing on the world tour (ISAF World Match Race Tour).

In 2004 Richard was ousted in the quarterfinals of the Gold Cup after squandering a 2-0 lead against legendary Kiwi skipper and multiple Gold Cup winner Russell Coutts.

"We had the lead at the bottom mark of the third match but lost 3-2 and Russell won the event," Richard recalled.

"It was frustrating but also very exciting."

Last year saw Richard make up considerable ground in the second race of the final against Hansen before clinching a maiden Gold Cup – the oldest match race competition in the world for one-design yachts and penultimate stage of the annual World Match Race Tour.

"Our victory last year was great! A great feeling because in the last match we were four or five boat lengths behind Bjorn Hansen but passed him on the last beat and won the Gold Cup," added the Frenchman, currently third in the World Match Race Tour championship points standings.

Richard defeated 2006 King Edward VII Gold Cup winner and defending ISAF World Match Race Tour champion Ian Williams of England 2-0 in Switzerland last month to solidify his number one ranking in the world of professional match racing.

Current World Match Race Tour points leader Williams now hopes to turn the tables on his French rival and make further inroads towards a second straight ISAF World Match Race title.

"Winning the World Match Racing Tour last year is my greatest sailing accomplishment," the lawyer said.

"Winning two Tour championships in a row would be even greater."

Williams currently tops the pile by a slim six-points over France's Sebastein Col who pocketed $35,000 for winning last week's Troia Portugal Match Race in Portugal.

Col is also competing in next week's Gold Cup as well as three-time Olympic Gold medallists Ben Ainslie, last year's runner up Hansen, Switzerland's Eric Monnin and Aussie Torvar Mirsky – one of the most exciting and promising skippers on the World Match Race Tour.

Blythe Walker, 2006 Gold Cup petite winner, is the sole Bermudian skipper in this year's sailing spectacle that will also showcase the Renaissance Reinsurance Junior Gold Cup and inaugural Bermuda Festival of Sail.

Denmark's Jes Lyhne Bonde won last year's Junior Gold Cup.