Roger Beach and co-helmsman Jeff Bennett are pushing the boundaries to compete double-handed in the 24th Marion Bermuda Race, which starts in Massachusetts on Friday.

The duo are the only local entries in the race and Beach thinks they are making history in the 645 nautical mile race.

“We are the only Bermuda boat this year and I think probably the first Bermuda boat to double-hand the Marion Bermuda Race,” Beach, the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club commodore, told The Royal Gazette.

“We could have done this fully crewed but wanted a bit of a challenge, and this will be a fun race to do it.”

The double-handed division allowing boats to race with just two crew members is a new addition to the race and features a celestially navigated class and an electronically navigated class, which Beach and Bennett are competing in.

Beach is doing his part upholding the race’s tradition and hopes to see more local sailors involved going forward.

“I am the commodore at the dinghy club and felt it was right to keep the tradition of the race going on and try and encourage as much interest in it ahead of the next race in two years’ time, which will be its 50th anniversary,” he said. “We are hoping to generate at least a couple more Bermuda boats to take part in it.”

Beach and Canadian Bennett are making their debut in the biennial race but are no strangers to blue water racing having previously competed in the Newport Bermuda Race on Paul Hubbard’s Bermuda Oyster.

They will make the journey to the island on the Jeanneau Sunfast 3300, Avalon, which at 33ft is the smallest boat in the race.

“We have chartered a boat and want to prove that you can charter boats in the US and sail down to Bermuda in the race. We want to show other Bermudians and people in Bermuda that this race isn’t beyond reach for anyone,” Beach said.

“She’s the smallest boat in the race but is very well set up for double-handed sailing.”

If all goes accordingly, the pair hope to complete the race in under four days.

“It’s looking like good conditions and we would prefer something like breeze beam to aft and 15 knots,” Beach said. “We’ve got a big suit of sails which would mean we can get that boat really moving and try to target being in Bermuda in under four days.

“I think it will be a little on the nose out of Buzzard’s Bay and my co-skipper Jeff has been checking all the models for the last few weeks and has the pulse on that. He’s going to tell me which way to point the boat and I’ll do that.

“I think the hardest part will be getting the boat to the start line and then obviously it’s a pretty arduous race. But we are looking forward to getting offshore and obviously making it to Bermuda.

“I think the first 24 hours out of Marion will be pretty busy for us and then we’re hoping to settle into more of a rhythm and just send the boat to Bermuda.”

The race will again take the fleet through the unpredictable Gulf Stream which significantly impacts weather patterns, particularly along the US East Coast and Europe.

“It’s always an exciting prospect crossing the Gulf Stream. It will always give you some surprise and is never straight forward,” Beach said.

“But all of the boats in the race are set up to meet very strong safety requirements. We’ve got the boat prepped for that, and really it’s just a matter of being prepared for all that it can throw at you.”