The Bermuda Sail Grand Prix cannot come fast enough for Taylor Canfield, who has enjoyed considerable success competing in the island’s waters.

The Virgin Islands sailor has lifted the prestigious King Edward VII Gold Cup on three occasions and is now hoping for similar success at the wheel of US SailGP’s F50 catamaran when the international regatta returns next month after a two-year absence.

“I can’t wait to be back in Bermuda, as it reminds me a lot of home and growing up in the Virgin Islands,” Canfield told The Royal Gazette.

“I’ve raced here several times and every experience has been incredible. The conditions, the crystal-clear water, the energy — it’s a special place and I’m really excited to get back out there.

“Fingers crossed we have 10 to15 knots, warm weather and crystal-clear blue water. I know Bermuda will not disappoint and I can’t wait to be back.”

The 37-year-old is among an exclusive group of sailors to achieve multiple King Edward VII Gold Cup titles, which includes SailGP chief executive, Olympic gold medal and America’s Cup winner Russell Coutts, who has won the local regatta an unprecedented seven times.

Most of Canfield’s sailing experience in Bermuda has been in the sheltered confines of Hamilton Harbour in the International One Design racing sloop, which means he will not have an advantage in terms of knowledge of conditions in with the upcoming regatta taking place at Morgan’s Point.

“The Gold Cup racetrack was inside Hamilton Harbour, so it’s a different set-up than what we’ll see with SailGP,” said Canfield, who took over from Jimmy Spithill as US SailGP’s driver in November 2023.

“That said, being comfortable on the island and familiar with the environment always helps. It makes the whole experience smoother and lets us focus on performance.”

Match racing in the IOD is a far cry from fleet racing in the F50 catamaran, designed and raced in the 35th Americas Cup in the Great Sound in 2017, as Canfield has discovered during the transition from sailing conventional rigs to foiling boats travelling nearly four times faster than the wind speed.

“It’s been a steep learning curve, but very much what we expected,” he said.

“These are some of the fastest and most complex boats in the world, and with limited training time it’s a real challenge for new teams to get up to speed.

“That said, we’re making strong progress as a team and are excited about where we’re heading. Looking forward to the continuous growth and what’s to come for this team.”

These are indeed exciting times for Canfield and his team-mates after they picked up their maiden win on the SailGP circuit with a tactical masterclass in the KPMG Sydney Sail Grand Prix in Australia last month.

The American outfit coped best in challenging conditions to secure a landmark victory and they are determined to build on that success.

“It was incredible to get a win in this league,” Canfield said.

“Everyone in this league is extremely skilled and fighting for that top spot, and you need to be rock-solid and consistent over the eight races each weekend to get the win.

“But the hustle and improvement doesn’t stop here. We want more and know we are capable of more.”

Canfield’s SailGP debut in Bermuda in 2023 was one he would rather forget after he was unable to compete when his team were forced to withdraw after being involved in a high-speed crash during practice.

The Americans were forced to pull the plug on their campaign as the wing on their boat was extensively damaged, while some of the crew suffered minor injuries.

It is a fate they will be hoping to avoid as they go in search of a second title when the Bermuda SailGP takes centre stage on May 9 and 10.