Premier Ewart Brown has cancelled a scheduled Press Breakfast with reporters in Marion later this week due to "some pressing issues", race organising committee member Ray Cullum has confirmed.

The Island's leader was due to address the media over breakfast at the Beverly Yacht Club prior to Friday's start of the 645-nautical mile Marion to Bermuda Race from Buzzard's Bay, Massachusetts to St.David's Head, Bermuda.

"Due to some pressing issues in Bermuda, the Premier will be unable to make it to Marion for the start of the this year's race," Cullum said.

Premier Brown has come under fierce criticism in recent days for arbitrarily accepting four Uighurs into the Island without consulting his own Cabinet, Parliament or the British Government.

A march was scheduled to be held on the grounds of Parliament yesterday even despite Government's attempts to portray their decision, which has ruffled a few feathers at Government House, as "humanitarian".

There are three local boats (Jonathan Brewin's Big Bear, Paul Hubbard's Bermuda Oyster and Johnathan Baxter's Pond Prawler) competing among an overall fleet of 52 boats that have registered for this year's Marion to Bermuda Race.

Local boats did well during the previous Marion to Bermuda Race two years ago, the 30th anniversary of the event, with Preston Hutchings' Morgan's Ghost being the first boat across the finish line, Hubbard's Oyster placing runner up in Class E and Colin Couper's Babes finishing third in Class B.

David Caso's Cherubini 44 claimed overall honours on a corrected time of three days, nine hours and 31 minutes.

Since its inception in 1977, the Marion to Bermuda Race has provided an opportunity for cruising yachts and amateur crews to participate in a ocean race and a rendezvous in Bermuda.

The biennial race is co-hosted by Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club (RHADC), Beverly Yacht Club and Blue Water Sailing Club and is the brainchild of American W.David Kingery who first came up with the idea of having a yacht race from Marion to Bermuda.