Comet ace Rudy Bailey heads off for the annual North American Championships to be held in New Jersey later this week in search of more success — and a crew.

The 2004 North American champion is currently riding high after claiming a tenth Edward Cross Cup earlier this month, but now finds himself in a race against the clock to find a suitable crew member to compete with on the US east coast this week.

For the past four years Bailey has competed abroad with American crew Emily Rogers — daughter of Comet Class Yacht Racing Association chairman Dave Rogers.

However, this year the West End Sail Boat Club stalwart will have to do without his US-based crew member who is currently studying to be a nurse in medical school.

Yet despite the uncertain circumstances he now finds himself in, Bailey still remains confident that he can wrest a title that has eluded him for the past three years.

“Even if I don’t have an experienced crew I’m ready. As long as they are in my weight range then I’m more than capable of pulling it off,” the veteran skipper said.

So far this year Bailey has ruled supreme in the class, reeling of a succession of impressive wins to underline his dominance over the rest of the local fleet.

“It’s been a good season so far. I have kept focused on all of the little details and I’ve actually been able to find a little extra speed through experimenting with different things,” Bailey said.

Now the well-known taxi driver from Somerset hopes he can continue sailing in the same vein when he touches down in New Jersey later this week.

“I love sailing on the Jersey shore because they have similar wind strengths to ours which is very ideal. Most of the conditions there are pretty much identical to our own sailing conditions,” Bailey said.

This week’s North American Championships will commence on Friday in Surf City, New Jersey where Bailey hopes to improve on last year’s showing (second overall).