Strong gales and steep waves were not the only obstacles Roger Beach and co-helmsman Jeff Bennett encountered at the start of the 24th Marion Bermuda Race.

The duo's task became all the more daunting when their start was delayed after they experienced a problem with the tiller extension on the 33ft yacht they have chartered for the 645-mile race from Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, to St David's Lighthouse, Bermuda.

“Our tiller extension came unscrewed in the pre-start and we were trying to get that reattached when the gun went off, so we started quite late,” Beach, the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club commodore, told The Royal Gazette.

The 21 yachts competing in the biennial race were greeted by intense 30 knot winds, with gusts to 45, and five-foot swells as they navigated out of Buzzards Bay.

“Conditions at the start were testing, maybe even more so than anticipated,” Beach said. “We saw gusts north of 30 knots and our mindset was to make it out of Buzzards Bay in one piece and then try to make up time.

“After we made open ocean we were able to get into a routine and have rebuilt energy levels ready for the Gulf Stream.”

At last check, Bermuda's sole entry in the race were fourth among the eight boats competing in Class A and ninth in line honours, some 283 nautical miles from the finish line.

They were travelling along at over seven knots and if all goes according to plan are hoping to complete the race in under four days.

“Breeze is up and down and we’re focusing on keeping the boat speed up and aiming in the right direction,“ Beach said.

"We are still learning the boat and suits of sails, but happy with our performance so far and morale is high.“

Beach and Canadian Bennett are competing on the Jeanneau Sunfast 3300 Avalon, which at 33ft is the smallest boat in the race.

The duo are making their debut in the biennial race and are also competing double-handed for the first time.

The double-handed division, allowing boats to race with just two crew members, is a new addition to the race and features a celestially navigated class and an electronically navigated class, in which Beach and Bennett are competing.

They are no strangers to blue-water racing having previously competed in the Newport Bermuda Race on Paul Hubbard’s Bermuda Oyster.

Redwood continues to set the pace in the battle for line and Class A honours. Pike Severance’s 50ft yacht held a 13-nautical mile advantage over nearest rival Lyric, which is competing in the same class.