of hard work come to fruition when the Newport-Bermuda Yacht Race gets under way off Newport's Breton Tower.

Together with race chairman Dev Barker, of the Cruising Club of America, Thompson has been brainstorming at quarterly meetings since the last race in 1990.

And in the past few months, the preparations for the 38th biennial race have gathered pace.

Thompson will be in Newport to address the skippers on the eve of the big race, and he will be an interested spectator at the start on June 19.

"I wish I could be taking part,'' said Thompson, who raced Newport-Bermuda on board Peter Wilson's Trailblazer back in 1988.

As commodore of the host club, Thompson will go out to greet the first boat to cross the finish line at St. David's Head.

He will than face a busy week, packed with social functions for the visiting sailors.

There is a reception at Chelston, the home of the US Consul General, on the Wednesday after the race, and another on the Thursday at Longbird House, the home of the Commanding Officer of the US Naval Air Station.

The RBYC's welcoming reception is scheduled for June 26, with the official prizegiving the following day at Government House.

Barbecues will be held nightly at the yacht club in the week following the race.

And, for only the second time, there will team racing in J44s in the Great Sound. Bermuda won the inaugural Bermuda-US challenge in 1990.

Governor Sir Desmond Langley will attend the yacht club to inspect the winning Newport-Bermuda Race yachts before the J44s set sail.

Thompson will be a prominent figure at all functions, both on and off the water, throughout the week, to ensure that all goes according to plan. He said it was an unfortunate consequence of the recession that the Bermuda entry in this year's race was so small. "The economy right now has had an effect, but having said that the indications are that we are going to have 130 boats, and that is a good-sized fleet in the circumstances.'' Thompson said he felt the introduction last time around of a Cruising Division and the standardisation of the racing rules through the International Measurement System would continue to ensure the popularity of the race.

"Once we get out of the doldrums I think we will see the number of entries rise again.'' Thompson will be accompanied to Newport by the RBYC's vice-commodore Brian Billings and rear commodore Tom Miller.