The final countdown to the start of this year's Marion to Bermuda yacht race has begun in earnest.

Some 80 amateur skippers from the US and Bermuda will compete in the biennial event which gets underway on June 20 from Buzzard's Bay in Massachusetts.

Representing Bermuda will be Nick Weare onboard Zaphyr, Sandy Mitchell on Perseverance, David Roblin's Lullaby, Robert Mulderig's Star Trail and Paul Hubbard's Bermuda Oyster.

Yesterday it was reported that some of the Island's sailors had already set course on their journey across the Atlantic to Massachusetts to complete their preparations in Marion.

For the first time in the race's history, much larger boats will be eligible to compete. Previously boat size was restricted to 62 feet but the maximum legal length has now been extended to 80 feet.

This year will be the 14th edition of the Marion to Bermuda Race which was first run in 1987.

Jim Lawless' Spinache' seized overall honours in the 2001 race while Bermuda's Warren Brown holds the crossing record.

"We have been extremely busy. The phones have been ringing off the hook and everything is pumping out of the fax machine and the e-mails are going absolutely crazy," said Marion to Bermuda Race administrator Faith Paulsen from Massachusetts yesterday.

"Everybody is getting all of the last minute details in and the final crew list was due in by June 1.

"This is the first year that we have extended the maximum boat length to 80 feet. Now we can have larger boats competing and the pre-race excitement is running extremely high."

The event is jointly organised by the Blue Water Sailing Club and Beverly Yacht Club in the US and the Royal Hamilton Dinghy Club in Bermuda.