Yesterday's miserable weather conditions in Marion perhaps best sums up Paul Hubbard's day.

The veteran skipper withdrew from Class D in this year's Marion to Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race before it even started due to a mechanical breakdown, thus trimming the number of local entries in the biennial event down to two boats.

It was a cruel twist of fate to a race that promised so much for Hubbard and crew aboard Bermuda Oyster.

Having won the Cruiser Division in last year's Newport to Bermuda Race, the 65-year accountant had been in contention for the revered SAIL Bermuda Ocean Cruising Yacht Trophy ¿ awarded for the best combined performance in consecutive Newport and Marion to Bermuda Races.

"I think that must be terribly disappointing for him (Hubbard) after all the preparation and then not being able to go," commented Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club (RHADC) commodore David Skinner.

"It is also a disappointment to us as well because we would like to have as many boats as possible in the race and he was one of the three boats sailing for the dinghy club in the Team Trophy Challenge.

"It is too bad, but sometimes these things can't be helped."

Also withdrawing from this year's race was Class D entry, Shooting Star, and Class B boat, Galileo.

Hubbard's woes aside, the remainder of the local fleet got off to uneventful starts in overcast conditions on Buzzard's Bay.

Left to fly the Island's banner are Class C skipper Jonathan Baxter (Pond Prowl) and namesake Jonathan Brewin (Big Bear) who is competing in Class A.

Only one boat (Vivaldi) was penalized for crossing the start line early and had to go back and restart.

"It was a bit sloppy when we first got out there, but then things started to calm down and people did what they needed to do," Skinner continued. "The start was actually better than I expected it to be. It was actually pretty exciting."

Yesterday saw the fleet head out of Buzzard's Bay sailing on a dead beat before plotting their course either side of the 165 degree rhumb line and make their way out into open seas in variable eight to 15 knots of winds and two to three foot chop.

Also present at the start of this year's Marion to Bermuda Race were the wives of local sailors Charles Dunstan and Robert Mason.

Dunstan is navigator aboard Baxter's C&C 37 +, Pond Prowler, while Mason is watch captain on the same boat.

Mason's wife, Janice, admitted watching her husband sail off into the deep blue sea is a "scary" experience.

"It's scary because you never know what's going to happen out there and hope they are all going to be safe," she said.

"You want to make sure they do everything they are supposed to do and you can also tell they have adrenaline running through them."

Dunstan's wife, Theresa, was happy to see the race finally get underway.

"It is definitely a relief to see them off and also a relief to see them finish," she smiled.

"It was actually pretty exciting to see them off and they all looked happy on the boat."