Hamilton is the capital of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda. It is the territory's financial centre and a major port and tourist destination.

The city of Hamilton has many parks for its size. Probably the most notable park in the city is Victoria Park. This park occupies a whole block and was named after the former Queen Victoria. Other parks in the city are Par La Ville Park, Barr's Park, All Buoy's Point Park, and the hidden Cedar Park.

Hamilton has a host of excellent beaches which provide many opportunities for water sports including surfing, wind surfing, water skiing, jet skiing, sailing and diving, however the highlight of the calender is the Bermuda Gold Cup (or Argo Group Gold Cup as it is currently known) a sailing event which is a key stage of the World Match Racing Tour one of only 3 sailing championships to be sanctioned by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) with 'Special Event' status. The Argo cup brings the world's best match racing sailors (including world champions and Olympic sailors)to Bermuda for 5 days of adrenaline fueled one-on-one 'match racing'. Points accrued during the event contribute to the World Match Racing Tour and ultimately a chance to race in the final event, the Monsoon Cup in Malaysia, where the winner is crowned ISAF World Match Racing Champion. Unlike a lot of water based sports which are too far out to see from the shore 'match racing' is a great spectators sport with the racing happening only 15m from the shore. Spectators can expect a heart of the action view point from the comfort of the shore.

The history of the modern Bermuda Gold Cup event dates back to the very beginning of the match racing style of sailing. The first 'match race' in a one-design racing yacht i.e. technically identical boats, was the King Edward VII Gold Cup in Bermuda (now known as the Argo Gold Cup), that was first sailed in 1937. The Argo Gold Cup is still a key event in the World Match Racing Tour calendar.

The King Edward VII Cup itself was originally given at the Tri-Centenary Regatta at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1907 by King Edward VII in commemoration of the 300th Anniversary of the first permanent settlement in America. C. Sherman Hoyt won that regatta and was the first sailor to accept the historic trophy.

Hoyt held the Gold Cup for three decades before donating it to the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and proposing an annual one-on-one match-race series in 6-Meter yachts. In his letter he expressed the propriety of "my returning a British Royal trophy to the custody of your club, with its long record of clean sportsmanship and keenly contested races between your Bermuda yachts and ours of Long Island Sound, and elsewhere..." The first winner of the Cup in its new format was Briggs Cunningham in 1937. He was also the first skipper to win the America's Cup in a 12-Meter racing yacht.