Six-time World Champion Penny Simmons will be among those gunning for Dan Faria’s Bacardi Bermuda International Invitational Race Week title in the International One Design (IOD) fleet.The Bermuda Sports Hall of Fame sailor will come up against some stiff competition in an IOD fleet that also boasts two-time IOD World Champion John Burnham of Fishers Island and past Race Week winners Craig Davis (Bermuda), Bruce Dyson (Marblehead fleet), Giles Peckham (England) and Jan Petter Roed (Norway).Simmons, who will be joined ondeck this year by wife Sasha (spinnaker), Darcy Betschart (cockpit), Greg Lawrence (jib) and Matthew Cairney (main), says it’s anyone’s guess who will win the coveted Vrengen Cup this year.“It’s going to be good competition this year and with a few good breaks here and there anyone can win this thing,” Simmons said. “It’s going to be a good week of competition depending on the weather because you have a few fellows that have been here before, but we are ready and hopefully we can do our best.”American Faria said defending his IOD Race Week title will be no small feat.“Based on the deep and experienced field, a repeat will be very difficult,” he said. “Certainly our goal is to defend our title, but getting in the top three is a reasonable expectation that will require flawless execution and no major mistakes.”Making Race Week debuts in the IODs this year are Marc Migilazzo (St Mawes- England fleet), Tim Heckscher and Roderick Thaler (Long Island Sound fleet) and Tyler Steel (North East Harbour fleet).Also sailing on the Alpha Course with the IODs is the International Etchells fleet comprising of teams from the UK, Canada, USA and Bermuda.Expected to be in contention for top honours are Will Thompson, Peter Martin, Hal Kempe and the evergreen Tim Patton who had a respectable showing at this year’s Etchells World Championship Down Under.“This is a very competitive fleet and there are a couple of professional crews in here,” said Patton, who is making his 39th consecutive Race Week appearance. “Looking ahead at the weather there’s going to be varied conditions, so there will be a little bit there for everybody.”For the first time in decades the J-Class will not be represented in the invitational regatta.Meanwhile, competition is also expected to be fierce among the Laser and Comet fleets on the Bravo Course.The Laser Class is comprised of 16 sailors from three different countries, including defending Race Week champion Rockal Evans who is gunning for a third straight title this year.A slimmer Evans said he is confident he can see off fellow top contenders Brett Wright and Malcolm Smith.“The fleet is pretty challenging and it’s always a mix up with a long regatta,” he said.“There’s 13 races so anything can happen, but I’m very confident I can do well and defend my title.”This year marks the Comet Class’s first appearance in Race Week in four years, with the likes of Stevie Dickinson, Rudy Bailey and class president Gladwin Lambert expected to be thick in the hunt for Race Week silverware.“I’m happy that we are back in after too many years of absence and I hope the weather holds and we get a nice regatta in,” said Bailey.Race Week starts tomorrow in the Great Sound and concludes on April 27.