Coumantaros sailed her across the Atlantic in 57 hours, 31 minutes and 50 seconds.

As remarkable as that record was, chances are good it could be broken this year.

The Newport-Bermuda Racing and Grand Prix divisions this year will be highlighted by five Maxi-class yachts, using the race as part of their Maxi World Championships Series.

Boomerang is one of those and will be joined by the likes of Morning Glory , Alexia and Sayonarra . And given the right conditions, they could push each other to break the record.

But while this year's race will have plenty of speed and numbers, one thing it won't have is a lot of local representation. Only six Bermuda-based boats and four Island skippers had registered by yesterday.

Among them were Robert Mulderig and his new Farr 72, Starr Trail , skippered by Blair Simmons.

Les Crane is back with Monterey , and Kirk Cooper returns, although he is this year co-skippering Temptress with the boat's owner, Richard Shulman of New York.

Cooper was aboard Temptress in 1996, although that boat has since been sold, renamed -- Ugly Duckling will be sailed by William Kardash this year -- and now he and Shulman will sail the new Temptress , a Swan 51. Dr. Colin Couper will be aboard his Sabre 40, Vivace .

Also sailing out of the RBYC are Defiant and Dawn Treader , captained by Steven Vestbirk and Frederick Deichmann, respectively.

Many familiar names are back, including Symphony's Jim Mertz, the US octagenarian making his record 27th crossing, and Sheila McCurdy, with Selkie .

FLASHBACK -- The crew of Boomerang give the thumbs up after smashing the race record during the 1996 Newport-Bermuda classic. From left are navigator Robert Hale, second mate John Edgcomb, owner/skipper George Coumantaros and first mate Jeff Neuberth.