It may not rank in the class of the Newport-Bermuda ocean classic and it may not be able to boast the kind of turn-out afforded the Marion to Bermuda cruising race, but no-one should look down upon the Charleston-to-Bermuda Race that sent 14 yachts off on their 777-mile thrash to the Onion Patch on Saturday.

As a case in point, how many races are there that send a private jet to Bermuda to pick up officials of the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, a Government minister and a reporter and whisk them back to Charleston in time for the race celebrations and official start?

How many races attract the State Governor, area congressman and city mayor to the start and send the congressman onto Bermuda in the same private jet so he can be around for the finish?

And how many races fit all of their entries with Satellite Position Recorders so that their position is known from the start to the finish?

Charleston has been sending a fleet to Bermuda every second year for the past ten years, and although this year?s fleet of 14 may appear insignificant, one could hardly criticise the level of commitment that is being poured into the event.

The driving force, and owner of the private jet, is Charleston developer Hank Hofford. He is sailing down in his new Santa Cruz 70, by far the largest boat in the fleet, and he has Teddy Turner, son of the famous Ted Turner, as his skipper and another 13 crew members, including his wife Susan, to keep him company.

His other boat, a Bermuda 40, is being crewed by naval cadets and will going head-to-head with the Bermuda 40 owned and skippered by Bermudian Richard Hartley.

Hartley can thank his nautical instincts for being in the race at all, as he dodged the violent storms of the past fortnight by going south to Florida and then turning right in order to make it safely to the start.

Not so lucky was Bob Cummings who encountered massive seas and 50 knot winds on his way to the start and had to be airlifted with his crewmate off the sinking 41-foot yacht by the US Coast Guard.

Saturday?s start was far more benign, with almost no wind to begin with, and acting Tourism Minister Walter Lister made a fine figure as he fired the starting canon, to be followed by Jane Correia, commodore of the RBYC, and then the Mayor of Charleston Joseph Riley.

The race is sponsored by the Department of Tourism, Wyndham Bermuda Resort, Gosling?s Black Seal Rum, and many others, and organised by the South Carolina Maritime Heritage Foundation and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.

First boats are expected to arrive by Wednesday.