FIVE teams from four nations will compete in the Blind Match Racing World Championships in the waters off Helensburgh next month.

Sailors from Great Britain, the United States, Canada and Australia will compete in the event, based at the Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club in Rhu, between Monday, September 3 and Friday, September 7.

It’s the first time the biennial world championship event have been scheduled to take place in the UK.

Two teams from Great Britain, skipped by Sharon Grennan and Catherine Westbrook, will seek to defend the world championship they won in 2016.

The event will also see the return of skippers David Brown (Canada) and Walter Raineri (USA), who took away silver and bronze respectively at the last championships, which were based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin and held on Lake Michigan in 2016.

The line-up is completed by an Australian team led by skipper Kylie Forth.

Craig Macdonald, BMRWC 2018 chairman said: “We are really pleased with the strength of entrants from Britain, Canada, the United States and Australia.

“The Blind Match Racing World Championships have a reputation for being very friendly off the water, but there are a few scores to settle on the water. Britain’s two-team entry could make good use of home advantage, but are without skipper Vicki Sheen – who dominated the championships for the last decade – who has retired.

“All in all it’s a quality field with lots of talent and experience on show so it’s shaping up to be a very competitive and exciting week of racing at Rhu.”