It is supposed to be the 'oldest ocean race for amateur sailors in normal boats'.

Yet this year's Newport to Bermuda Race, which gets underway today in Newport, Rhode Island (2 p.m. Bermuda time), will see two supermaxi yachts, a three-time Americas Cup veteran, a multiple Volvo Ocean Race champion as well as a past ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award winner compete in the challenging 635-nautical mile ocean crossing.

Undoubtedly, much of the attention will be focused on supermaxis Rambler and Speedboat, helmed by Mike Sanderson, one of the world's leading skippers who has surrounded himself with an 'all professional' crew and thrives on breaking race records.

This time the 35-year-old Kiwi is attempting to shatter the existing unofficial 'open' Newport to Bermuda Race record (48 hours, 28 minutes and 31 seconds) held by Hasso Plattner's Morning Glory, onboard businessman Alex Jackson's 100-foot Juan Kouyoumdjian-designed boat fittingly dubbed Speedboat.

Speedboat impressed during last weekend's 154th New York Yacht Club Regatta where she generated good boat speed in mild breezes.

"It was just about trying to get to know the boat and what better way than to put a supermaxi through a two-mile windward leeward race series," Sanderson stated on his website.

"There is no doubt by us battling through this we will be better off for our ultimate goal this week, the Newport to Bermuda Race."

Another supermaxi, Rambler, is gunning to eclipse the 'traditional' Newport to Bermuda Race record (53 hours, 39 minutes and 22 minutes) held by Roy Disney's Pyewacket.

Newport to Bermuda press officer, Talbot Wilson, is among those who has predicted existing race records will fall this year.

"It's definitely possible the race records will fall as Speedboat and Rambler are faster boats than the ones that hold the records (Morning Glory and Pyewacket)," he said.

There were originally 224 boats registered in this year's race. But that number has dwindled to 194 after several boats withdrew for various reasons.

One boat suffered heavy damage on its moorings when another boat smashed into it. Another yacht was damaged by an electrical fire onboard while one boat sank en route to Newport.

"There have been some strange things happening," Wilson added.

There are seven local boats (Alida, Babe, Belle Mente, Bermuda Oyster, Morgan's Ghost, Nasty Medicine and Whimsical of Wight) competing in this year's race which was founded in 1906 by Thomas Fleming Day.

Stephen Sherwin's Nasty Medicine nearly became a pre-race casualty when she tore her main sail during last weekend's New York Yacht Club Regatta but has since undergone repairs and will be at the start line today.

The Newport to Bermuda Race has been sailed from Rhode Island to Bermuda since 1932 and race fans can keep track of their favourites by logging onto www.iboattrack.com/racetracking.html.

Today's start will also be broadcast on www.t2p.tv/ thanks to sponsors Gosling's Limited.