A new fleet heralds a novel era for the Bermuda Gold Cup, which takes place in Hamilton Harbour this week.

The iconic but expensive-to-run International One Design fleet has been replaced with eight Fareast 28R match racing keelboats, which will be the vessels for 12 of the best match-racing sailors in the world to showcase their talent.

At a twilight event on Friday night, the Right Reverend Nicholas Dill, Bishop of Bermuda, blessed the boats that will take part this year in the World Match Racing Tour event, which brings together leading men’s and women’s match-racing sailors in a single combined event, with the Open field expanding to 12 invited skippers, up from eight in previous years.

The purchase of the boats represents a significant investment for the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, with Hal Kempe, commodore at RBYC, outlining the difficult decision to replace the old fleet.

“The IOD is a wonderful, beautiful boat but they getting old in years and are expensive to run, so we’ve brought in a fleet that we can manage,” Kempe said.

“There are some of the older members who love the boats and want to stick to the traditions, but I think what we need to do is just have good sailboats that top competitors can go out and race on a regular basis

“So, yes, it was a tough decision but it’s really hard to find somebody to make you a new IOD mast and get spare parts for the boats, so we feel this is the best thing for long-term sustainability.”

Kempe feels the introduction of the new fleet is not only to benefit the Gold Cup but to reignite sailing on island.

“These boats have been introduced not only for the Gold Cup but to get sailing going again in Bermuda,” Kempe said.

“As a kid I would sail on Saturdays and there would be 30 boats out there. Now, if we can get four IODs on the line we’re having a good day — and that's sad.

“It’s hard to compete with a lot of other sports and leisure activities but we want to set up concierge sailing, so you don’t own the boat, we own it, but you rent it and come into the dock and we'll take it from you, just like renting a car.

“I’d also like to get all the other Bermuda boating clubs down here for short, fun races in the harbour and to socialise afterwards. The fleet is also great for kids to get more experience.”

Peter Miller, rear commodore for sailing, was the man tasked with the logistics of getting a new fleet in Bermuda and after he had poured a small amount of local Gosling’s Rum on each of the new boats, he revealed his delight at seeing the boats on the water.

“I was actually off island when they arrived, unfortunately, so it was a bit of a delayed satisfaction,” Miller said.

“But when I got out on the water on one, I was really chuffed and very psyched. That was the best part, getting out on one and actually going sailing, so it will be really cool to watch the top guys go out on them next week.”

Many people felt the uniqueness of the Bermuda Gold Cup would be lost when the IOD fleet was replaced but Miller revealed changes to the Fareast 28R set-up will ensure that the sailors competing this week will have a one-of-a-kind test to overcome.

“Obviously they sail these boats in other venues but this will be the first time they will sail with a symmetric set-up,” Miller said.

“These boats usually have asymmetric spinnakers, which means they can’t sail dead downwind. From that point of view, they’re not ideal for match racing boats, but we have retrofitted them to sail with symmetric spinnakers.

“That should make racing a little bit closer and more exciting. The sailors will have a challenge in figuring out that set-up for the first time, but I’m sure they'll adapt quickly and they have got a lot more hours on the boats than we do.”

Dill has blessed many a boat in Bermuda but explained his love of doing so with the sea playing such a special role in the island’s history.

“It’s a real privilege to be here and so often people think that religion is a very serious matter, but it’s also about living life and part of living life is enjoying nature and enjoying competition,” Dill said.

“As somebody whose family have been here for almost 400 years, we are very intimately, as a family, connected in this.

“My dad and grandfather were very much involved in this yacht club and I grew up sailing myself and racing with my dad, so this is personal for me.

But it is also about the island and its people. We are so vulnerable in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by waters on all sides and we're dependent upon the sea for so many things.

“The more people feel comfortable with it is great and connecting with the elements gives us a sense of the environment in which we live.

“So much goes into the act of going out on a boat, your reliance on the weather and your respect for one another. I spent nine months on a tall ship, sailing across the Atlantic three times and went in and out of a hurricane at one point.

“That teaches you the importance of teamwork and it’s a complete leveller. When you go to sea, it doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from or what you look like, you’re on watch, you’re scrubbing the decks, you're cleaning the toilets, you’re peeling the potatoes, you’re at the helm and you're up at all times of the day and night. That brings a levelness and a connection that is unique.”