And it could get even slower for Starr Trail .

Reports from the fleet last night indicated the lead yachts, three days into their trek across the Atlantic, were still more than 250 miles from the finish line at St. David's Lighthouse.

A record time to eclipse the one set by Boomerang last race -- seen as a strong possibility less than a week ago -- has now been ruled out as the fleet, down to 158 boats, continued to be frustrated by calm conditions.

Officials, hoping to avoid the ignominy of the slowest Newport-Bermuda Race in its 92 year history, last night speculated that the first finisher wouldn't hit the Island until early tomorrow.

As for Starr Trail , race committee spokesman Talbot Wilson confirmed yesterday that the Robert Mulderig yacht did in fact start in the wrong class on Friday and could be in store for a two-hour penalty.

In what was likely due to a mix-up in documentation provided to her, Starr Trail and her crew of 16 left with the Class 11 yachts -- ten minutes earlier than the scheduled departure with the Class 12 boats. No recall notice was given.

As for any penalty -- two hours is the punishment when a boat crosses the start line and does not respond to a notice of recall -- "that's up to the jury to decide,'' Wilson said.

And before the five-man international race jury even hears of the infraction, a written protest must first be lodged by another boat, he added.

This could be devastating for Starr Trail , which was sitting in first place in the cruising class when the latest position reports were called into the fleet's communication vessel, Rainbow , yesterday afternoon.

Most eyes are still on the maxis -- Boomerang , Alexia and Sayonara key among them -- and the hot new Farr 60s Deep Powder and Rima .

While one of those figures to get line honours, it won't be anywhere near the 57 hours, 31 minutes and 50 seconds that Boomerang managed two years ago.

Overnight dead calm and dense fog on Saturday gave way to a light northerly breeze yesterday, leaving most of the boats east of the rhumb line and struggling to maintain a two and a half knot headway. It was a near historic slow start, with the bulk of the fleet making only 40-60 miles in 24 hours.

Exceptions were Alexia and Congere , who kept moving close to the eastern edge of the rhumb line, doing over 160 miles, and Wonder (123 miles). Boats to the west of the line were not doing as well, reports from Rainbow said.

At mid-day yesterday, the breeze strengthened to 10-15 knots and the British maxi Alexia was closest to Bermuda, but still 235 miles away.

But that wasn't enough to suit Sister Rose of Chicago, Caliente of Newport and Parlay of Georgetown, all of whom yesterday withdrew from the race.

The slowest time recorded in the race came in the very first one in 1906, although that 126-hour, six-minute effort by Tamberlane was a 668-mile voyage from Gravesend Bay.

The slowest time since the race moved to the 635-mile course from Newport in 1936 came in 1960, when Ventura arrived in 121 hours, 13 minutes and 12 seconds. Only two boats since have surpassed the century mark, Kialoa II , with her 105:02:41 in 1966 and Tenacious , with a 105:05:46 in 1978.

Officials caution, however, that wind fluctuations in the Atlantic, mixed with the whims of the Gulf Stream, could mean any of the top boats are capable of blistering over the final stages of the course.

Two years ago, Boomerang covered the last five miles of the course in 15 minutes, averaging 20 miles per hour, and caught even the photo boats by surprise when she arrived shortly before midnight.