International Race Week with most of last year's successful skippers unable or opting not to return to defend their titles.

Only Bob Bell, whose consistency enabled him to see off the challenge of Bermuda's Tim Patton in the Etchells class 12 months ago, is set to put his head on the block.

The various winners of the International One Design, J-24s, JY-15s, Snipes and Lasers will not be competing, while last year's other class -- Comets -- has been replaced by Tornados, adding a second catamaran class to the regatta, which begins on Sunday.

Entries in total are down, with 75 boats confirmed for the event, but organisers say nothing sinister should be read into the figures.

"It varies from year to year,'' said Les Crane. "And you have to look at it fleet by fleet. There might have been some other competition going on in a particular class and people have taken their week off work already.'' The Snipes in particular are down, with only 19 boats compared with 30 last year, but they still remain the most popular category.

"It's a boat really connected with Bermuda,'' added Crane. "There has always been a strong local fleet.'' There are, however, a number of repeat competitors. Bell, who had the local knowledge of Peter Bromby to guide him last year, Bermuda's Tim Patton, who came a close second to Bell and Briton Graham Bailey will all sail in the Etchells again along with Canadian Stuart Ash.

American James Bishop, a regular in the Newport to Bermuda race, will once again contest the IOD class, and Bill Buckles, a competitor in the match racing Gold Cup last October, returns to the Island to race Snipes.

The Etchells, IODs, J-24s and Tornados will all launch from the RBYC for racing in the Great Sound. Other classes will set out from Spanish Point BC.

SMOOTH SAILING -- Bermuda's Zan Kirkland (above), who also holds US citizenship, has qualified for trials in the USA where he will compete against 80 of the country's top under-16 Optimist dinghy sailors for a place in teams to take part in the World and European Championships. The trials will be held in Annapolis, Maryland. Fifteen year-old Kirkland qualified along with Bermuda's Alex Lines and Giles Spurling on the basis of their 1997 performances in the US, but only he will compete in the trials.