For American Frederick Deichmann the Newport-Bermuda race has been a trip back to his former stamping ground.

Deichmann worked on the Island in the insurance industry for four years, before moving back to his home state of Connecticut in 1997.

He was sailing his Tartan 37 Dawn Treader in the non-spinnaker Cruising Division with a crew which included his son Eric and said: "It's a great excuse to make a trip back to Bermuda.'' Deichmann has all mod cons on the yacht he bought new 20 years ago, including a GPS navigation system and in this year's event he was sailing in an offshore race with radar for the first time.

"The radar has a range of 24 miles and sees other boats and squalls,'' said Deichmann. "We've got to Bermuda twice before without it, but it is useful, particularly in fog.'' Deichmann felt the GPS technology, a sophisticated navigation system which has become commonplace among cruising yachts in recent years, had made the sport more atrractive to less daring souls.

"I think GPS has made a number of people more confident in going out there,'' said Deichmann. "It gives you all sorts of information, like where you are, what direction you are going in and how fast. It helps people feel they can find their way home.'' Technology had also made reading the tricky Gulf Stream easier, added Deichmann.

"We have a good sense of where the Stream is these days,'' he said. "The borders change every day, but the Navy produce colour charts which tell you where it is. We can even get information faxed over our short side band radio.'' If conditions are right, SSB transmissions can be picked up anywhere in the world, but for shorter range communications, the boat also has a VHF radio.

In the last Newport race in 1998, Deichmann was one of dozens of skippers who decided to drop out because of the lack of wind. Last year he enjoyed a more satisfying Marion-Bermuda race when he completed the crossing to the Island and this time his only goal was to arrive at St. David's within five days.

As he made last-minute preparations before departure from Newport, Deichmann looked forward to getting out onto the open sea and said he had few worries about his vulnerability on a small sailboat on the vast, unpredictable ocean.

"I tend to worry more about getting the boat ready than anything,'' said Deichmann. "It's only from about 10 days before that I start to think about the weather. If the conditions are decent it can be great fun out there, but if you're getting beat up, you wonder if there isn't a better way to be spending your time.'' Keeping it in the family: Skipper Frederick Deichmann (left) aboard Dawn Treader with his son Eric.

SAILING SLG