Forty-five yachts got off to an exciting upwind start yesterday in 10-13 knot southwesterly breezes and after making several tacks faded in the distance as they headed for open seas down the rhumb- line towards Bermuda.

“The start was very exciting,” Ed Faries, Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club commodore, said. “Even though they were told to stay clear they still wanted a very tight start so it was very close racing.”

Apart from two yachts, the remaining entries made clean starts in the choppy, dark waters in Buzzard’s Bay which mirrored the overcast sky above.

Michael Wiseman’s 54ft Ketch, Legacy V, and Chip John’s 48ft sloop, Margalo, both went over the line early at the start of their respective classes and were forced to gybe away and restart.

Robert Purcell’s 40ft sloop, Swell, never made it to the start line after withdrawing from the 645-mile race at the eleventh hour due to safety concerns.

Racing commenced on schedule with Spirit of Bermuda, the sole entry in the Classic Yacht Division, having the honour of leading the overall fleet across the line.

The 118ft triple masted sloop, with Governor George Fergusson among the crew, nailed the start on starboard tack and held her line as she sailed towards Cape Cod before rolling over to port and continuing her journey out of the bay.

Next to start was the Class D yachts.

The double handed 34ft sloop, Roust, helmed by co-skippers Ian Gumprecht and Mark Swanson, led the Class D yachts off the start after crossing first at the pin end of the line.

Roust and Peter Helmetag’s 34ft sloop, Wisper, are the smallest yachts competing in the biennial race.

Roust won multiple honours in the previous race, including the Founder’s Trophy for the fastest on corrected time.

Leading the Class C yachts across the start line was David Risch’s 40ft sloop, Corsair, while the US Naval Academy’s 44ft sloop, Integrity, led the Class B yachts at the start.

Last to start was the faster Class A yachts that had hearts pumping as they sped down towards the line in search of clean air.

That advantage went to the 44ft sloop Ballyhoo that led a tight bunch of Class A yachts across at the pin end of the line.

Of the 45 yachts competing, two are being sailed by all women crew — the 44ft sloop Spirit and 52ft sloop Etoile.