Numerous championships have been held on Island waters and it was only a few weeks ago that the world's best match racers left these shores after competing in the annual Gold Cup.

Now comes the Bacardi Rum World Tornado Championships bringing with it a fleet of more than 70, including past and present world and Olympic champions.

It is, arguably, one of the best tornado entries ever assembled, and the action promises to be fast and furious.

Current title holder Roland Gaebler, from Germany, is just one of those who arrived early -- some two weeks ago -- signalling his intention to make a strong defence of the crown he won in Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia, last year.

But Gaebler will be up against the stiffest of opposition which numbers among its 71 two-man crews Spanish Olympic champions Ferdinand Leon and Jose Luis Ballester and Atlanta bronze medallist Lars Grael, from Brazil.

Bermuda last hosted this regatta in 1986 when it was held two miles offshore and organisers this time around had hoped to offer a much more spectator-friendly event.

However, the sheer size of the fleet has meant a late alteration to the course, originally planned for Grassy Bay in Sandys.

Now two courses have been drawn up, one off Murray's Anchorage in the East End and the other in the Great Sound, wind direction determining which will be used.

The regatta takes the form of a series of 10 races, with a low scoring format whereby in each flight the winning crew will score one point and the crew that comes last 71.

Overall winner will be the crew with the lowest score after all races are completed. Each team is allowed to discard its worst performance.

An innovation this year will be a daily sprint time trial across the face of the cruise ship berth in Dockyard following the main races -- the Bacardi Blast! Boats are expected to be able to complete the 500-foot course between 12 and 15 seconds.

On the final day, the world's top five sailors will compete in a series of `blasts' to determine the best sprinter.

A number of local skippers are taking part, among them Glen Astwood, who crewed for Briton Andy Green in the recent Bermuda Gold Cup.

But Alan Burland, chairman of the organising committee and like Astwood a former Olympian, believes the locals will struggle to make much of an impression.

"It will be hard for them to do well,'' he said. "They will be up against national champions from a number of very active countries.'' The Tornado class in Bermuda went into temporary limbo two years ago when the US Navy left its base at the Southampton Annex, where the locals used to keep their boats.

"The Bermudian government decided it wanted the site vacated so we had to leave,'' Burland added. "But this competition will give us a real boost and we will re-establish the class once it is over.'' The first of the 10 races is scheduled for November 9 and the last on November 15, with racing planned every day except Wednesday, November 12.

SAME STORY APPEARED MID OCEAN NEWS TV GUIDE ON 7.11.1997 SAILING SLG