Next week's 62nd Annual Long Distance Race now promises to be a real drag race from Somerset to St. George's. And that suits pre-race favourite and multiple champion Rudy Bailey just fine.

"I go pretty fast in drag races and with the additional practice I've had and my crew (Fred Bulford) sailing at his best again, I'm feeling confident," the veteran skipper declared.

Bailey again finds himself among the hunt for top honours in the lead up to next Monday's race when he will bid to regain the title he lost to arch rival Stevie Dickinson last year.

"I am definitely ready and my presence will be felt. And at the end of the day the best man or the best boat will win," the 2004 North American Comet Championships skipper said.

Over the decades Bailey and Dickinson have battled it out for bragging rights on the surf. And Bailey thinks Monday's race will be no different.

"We are always going to have a slugfest out there on the course — that's what the fans turn up to see because they know it's going to be a battle between the two perennial favourites," he added.

"So we are going to hook and not disappoint anybody and we'll see if Mr. Dickinson is still the champ at the end of the day."

Bailey currently lies third on the all-time list of victories (nine) in the popular regatta that attracts thousands of spectators behind the late Alton Millett who held the previous record (11) before understudy Dickinson eclipsed it in 1999.

In a show of respect for his former mentor, Dickinson still competes in the famed red hull of Kitty Hawk once navigated by the legendary Millett. Others anticipated to be in the hunt for top honours next week include Bailey's stable-mates Gladwin Lambert — son of inaugural Long Distance winner Canute Lambert — and Howard Simmons who will again enter the regatta as a somewhat unknown quantity.

"He (Simmons) may not sail very much, but he always seems to do his best during the big race. Unless he has mechanical failure he will take off like a missile and we could end up chasing him if we are not careful because Howard is also a high speed drag race specialist," Bailey said.

So what is Bailey's stratagey?

"I'm just going to try and improve on last year's performance (second) — that's pretty much it in a nutshell. I just want to get a good clean start and keep all of the colourful boats behind me — that's my strategy," the well-known taxi driver replied.

"I haven't done anything to my boat. But I guess I'll polish it up for the cameras because you have to do something to make it look pretty. But really I don't think my boat can go any faster than it is going at the moment."

During last month's dress rehearsal, the Flag Pole to Flag Pole regatta, Bailey stripped Dickinson of the title he had previously held for three years in succession to perhaps serve notice of his next intentions.

Bailey, however, chose yesterday to downplay his most recent triumph.

"Flag Pole to Flag Pole is really nothing — the big race is on Monday. That was just another race as far as I'm concerned," he added.

As for his ongoing rivalry with Dickinson, Bailey declared: "In the last four races I have raced with Stevie I have won three of them. So in theory I'm the one who is ahead of the game."