Annapolis to St. George's Ocean Race.

Boats in the first division of the 753 mile event were due to leave the Maryland port at 12.00 noon with the five remaining divisions following at 10 minute intervals.

The race takes the fleet on a 125 mile course down through Chesapeake Bay and then onto the 628 mile crossing to Bermuda where the finish line has been set at Spit Bouy.

The race record is held by Counterpoint which in 1986 set an elapsed time of four days, nine hours, five minutes and 36 seconds (corrected time four days, 7:58.18).

With Counterpoint absent this year there remain a number of entries which with the right weather conditions could break that record.

Among the division one boats competing this year is La Chasseresse , Carl Geyer's Hunter which after 1992's race was holed near Northeast and spent some time in Bermuda undergoing repairs before returning to the US.

Also included are six US Naval Academy boats and three multi-hulls sailing in their divisions.