Move over power boaters! This weekend sees a less tense Rround the Island race, requiring minimal fuel and no crash helmets.

You won't see any spectacular flips either.

And you certainly won't hear any roaring engines. Just the hum of the faithful Seagull outboard.

The traditional Round the Island Seagull Race gets underway at 8 a.m.

today, with around 40 Seagull-powered boats (more than the number of entries in last Sunday's 31st Round The Island Power Boat Race), taking off from Long Island in the Great Sound.

The roughly nine-hour trek will take the boaters completely around the Island, including a trip along the South Shore.

Taking part will be some of Bermuda's finest traditional wooden dinghies.

The more serious entrants, "A Class serious blades'', will be driving newer, customised boats, though they must be powered by a Seagull.

One strategy, organiser and current record holder Mr. Richard Amos said, is to remain offshore in the longer swells.

"As the crow flies does not always work,'' he said. "Choppy waters tend to slow you down. You also have to know the waters.'' The increasingly popular annual race originated in the early 1970s, when two fishermen had a "hook'' in their Seagull-powered vessels, Mr. Amos pointed out.

He and some friends, including Mr. Brian Anfossi and Mr. Bruce Lorhan decided to rejuvenate the race a couple of years ago.

It had all but "died out'', he said, noting more than 50 boats were taking part in the 1980s.

This year, a record number of entries are taking part, Mr. Amos said, with organisers hoping to clear 40.

The only rules are that the boats must be 10 foot or longer, carry two people and have a British-made Seagull as the motive force.

A rule requiring each entrant to carry a case of beer was scratched from the books, although, says Mr. Amos, "Most carry that much beer anyway -- it's a long day.'' "Seagull engines are known for their durability,'' Mr. Amos said.

"They're supposed to always get you home. They can go full throttle for around eight-to nine hours. And they're easy to repair.'' The only mishap in the race's entire history was a squall in the early 1980s which caused the entire fleet to scramble ashore and abandon the race.

Though a crash boat follows the race to make sure everyone gets back to Long Island, it has never had to actually rescue anyone.

But Mr. Amos noted, "We have had to rescue a few people driving around in circles from sheer drunkenness.'' Each boat has a handicap and there are prizes and trophies for first across the line and first in each of the three classes.

"It's supposed to be a serious race but we try to keep it a fun day, with a barbecue at Long Island afterwards,'' he said. "The whole atmosphere is very relaxed.'' FINISHING TOUCH -- Boating enthusiast Mr. Charlie Brown takes advantage of of a brief lull in yesterday's downpour to put a final coat of paint on the wooden dinghy he and Mr. Luciano Aicardi plan to enter in today's Round the Island Seagull Race, which gets underway at 8 a.m. at Long Island in the Great Sound.