FOREIGN and local sailors are gearing up for this year’s Marion to Bermuda race which is set to start two weeks today from Buzzards Bay off the coast of Marion, Massachusetts.

And this year is extra special because the race will celebrate its 30th anniversary.Thirty years ago when 104 boats crossed the start line there may have been questions at how long this race will go on.

Those questions have now been answered.

And although the numbers have receded somewhat, it is expected that there will be about 90 boats on the line come race day.

A number of Bermuda boats will also be contesting for honours including Colin Couper’s Babe, Paul Hubbard’s Bermuda Oyster>, David Roblin’s Lullaby, Preston HutchingMorgan’s Ghost and Jonathan Baxter’s Pond Prowler.

And with this race being extra special, host club Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club, will be laying on a number events for the sailors after they have made the crossing.

The race’s publicity officer, Talbot Wilson, said this week: “The sailors really enjoy the race. And the RHADC is really making an effort this time to have entertainment and a lot of other things for the sailors to do.”

RHADC Commodore Charles Dunstan said: “We want the Marion to Bermuda race to be a special experience for everyone. We’ve planned finish line visits and Lighthouse tours, Bermuda House & Garden tours, and a St. George’s tour via the powercat Wildcat.”

And Dunstan said that Moe Dixon — the Copper Mountain resort resident entertainer — will be live on the RHADC terrace nightly.

“Thursday night is a Crown & Anchor fundraiser for Junior Sailing and Friday is a big fun day and Saturday is golf, the awards ceremony and a gala dinner. Gosling’s hosts the Friday afternoon Friends & Family Race for locals and visitors to bash around the buoys. They also host the Gosling All-Crew party at the club Friday afternoon and night. Saturday is a Belmont Hills golf outing followed by the prizegiving that will be held at the Government House this year. It is a spectacular venue and a very special occasion. The gala dinner back at the dinghy club caps off the event.”Wilson said: “We are seeing some new people this year as well as quite a lot of repeats. This is a much more relaxed race than the Newport to Bermuda race. They (the sailors) are always given help with planning and all the entry information they need to have.”

In 2005 the Marion race committee started allowing the fast multihulls into the race in their own class.

That, however, is still to take off properly as there are only four in this year’s race.

“They were supposed to have more in this race. Every effort was made to contact them and try and build on 2005. But we haven’t hit the right person — we need to get someone who is a fireplug who can help bring their (multihull) friends into the race because the multihull sailors are a close group. We had hoped for more this year as we felt that they had a successful event in 2005,” said Wilson.

While there are a lot a races in Europe for multihull boats there are not that many in the cruising class.

“They are trying to attract people who are in cruising multihulls,” said Wilson adding that some multihulls have to make modifications to their boats in order to meet the cruising class criteria.

“In 2Heartsease Laurus Roc — a 60 foot trimaran skippered by Lars Svensson (from Gates Mills, Ohio) was first across the line and he had to do some modifications to his boat,” added Wilson.

While the monohulls start on Friday afternoon, the multihulls start on Saturday (June 16) as they are so fast.

The first monohull boat across the line in 2005 was Mameluke — a 49 foot sloop manned by Naval Academy midshipmen and experienced coaches.

“We will also have more boats from the Naval Academy this year,” said Wilson.

Marion to Bermuda race marketing director Ray Cullum is pleased with the entries in this year’s classic. “We have a lot to offer experienced racers or the cruising sailor who wants to gain offshore experience.” said Cullum. “Marion Bermuda is the perfect offshore event to hone those seamanship skills while enjoying the competition.

The Marion to Bermuda race first started out as a simple idea of a single-handed yachtsman in 1975.

Back then American W.David Kingery first came up with the idea of having a yacht race from Marion to Bermuda. Kingery was a member of the Marion-based Beverly Yacht Club and in 1975, he was interested in entering a single-handed race from England to Newport. To qualify for the race, he decided to make a single-handed voyage to Bermuda and it was on this trip that Kingery was struck with the concept of a race from Marion to the island for cruising yachts and family sailors.

He discussed his idea with Dickie Bird, of the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club, Leo Fallon of the Blue Water Sailing Club and fellow members of the Beverly Yacht Club. Support was forthcoming from all three clubs and in 1977, Kingery’s dream became reality with the first Marion to Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race.

That first race was rather slow in light, south-westerly windsd Silkie was the overall winner.

Ironically co-founder of the race, Bird, had a collision at the start and had to go back to the Beverly Yacht Club.

Numbers began to rise and in the second biennial race in 1979 some 128 starters start the thrash to the Onion Patch in stiff 25-knot south-westerly winds.

Two years later even more boats entered — 143 yachts crossed the starting line.

The biggest fleet in the history of the Marion to Bermuda race was 163 vessels in 1989.