The local comet fleet take to the water on Monday for the highlight of their season - the 58th Annual Long Distance Race from the Great Sound in Somerset to St. George's Harbour.

West End Sail Boat Club's Rudy Bailey is the defending champion and will again bid to reign supreme accompanied onboard his boat, Temptation, by teenage daughter, Danielle.

However, the seven-time Long Distance champion must first dispense of Howard Simmons and perennial arch-rival Stevie Dickinson who have dominated the local comet scene in recent weeks.

Dickinson will be gunning for an unprecedented 13th title while veteran Simmons, Bailey's mentor, will attempt to extend his fine form of late.

Byron McCallan, meanwhile, will attempt to finally wrest victory from a regatta in which he has finished runner-up on eight occasions.

The East End Mini Yacht Club sailor also finished second last year while clubmate Romano Ramirez placed third.

Others capable of springing a surprise are veterans Gladwin Lambert, 2001 champion Heath Foggo, Scott Fox, Jamie Harvey and even veteran Howard Lee.

"It's never the Stevie (Dickinson) or Rudy Bailey show," insisted Bailey yesterday, downplaying one of local sailing's most fiercely contested rivalries.

"Howard (Simmons) is one of the guys who actually taught me how to sail and is a very keen long distance sailor, very capable of winning this race. I always keep an eye on Howard during long distance races because his set-up and style dictates speed sailing in a direct line. Those were some of the things which he taught me and that's probably why I've enjoyed the success that I have."

Bailey hopes to repeat that success come Monday.

"The weather forecast thus far is five to ten knots out of the south or south-west," he added, "which means that the boat that has the lightest weight and is adequately rigged can sail from Somerset all the way down to St.George's and make their boat go extremely fast on a straight line.

"That's what it's going to be . . . an all-out drag race."

Bailey hopes to bring a recent lean spell to an end.

"In every race leading up to the Long Distance race last year Stevie beat me and he's done it again this year," he noted. "But he's not had a taste of defeat yet. So I'm going to try to achieve the double and then next year I'm going for the triple."

Dickinson, meanwhile, reckons it's "anybody's race".

"You can't count people out who have been there and know what sailing is all about," said Dickinson. "It's going to be a tough race because guys are getting better every year and if it's light air then it's going to be anybody's race. Whoever's in the right place at the right time will win. That's the way it goes . . . you just can't predict who is going to come out on top."

Dickinson will be accompanied onboard Kitty Hawk with Ty Trott.

In all some 24 boats will compete in Monday's race which gets underway at 11 a.m. just off the West End Sail Boat Club in the Great Sound.

Meanwhile, all of the sailing action won't be at one end of the Island on Monday as local Fitted Dinghies will also take to the waters of Mangrove Bay, Somerset.

Three trophies will be up for grabs with Elizabeth II, Contest III, Challenger II and Victory IV all set to challenge for the Gilbert Bowl, Cambridge Bowl and Somerset Boat Club Bowl.

Sunday will see the dinghy fleet compete in a match racing series, also at Mangrove Bay.