going to be 60 percent determined at the time we leave the dock. So boat preparation, particularly for an older boat, is extremely important.'' -- Ron Noonan of Wildflower on pre-race preparations.

"I think coming into Bermuda you sense about 60 miles off that there's a change in the weather pattern and there's a change in the wave pattern. You can feel it and it pulls you in...it really does. And there's an incentive, I don't know whether it's the smell of hibiscus or the feel of the coral. But you work harder when you say `Bermuda's just over the hill boys, let's go'. And then the sail trim becomes more intensive and the talk about what's going to go on when we arrive and how enjoyable it's going to be to have the sun, the warm showers the good food and the good companionship that's here at the club.'' -- Columbine skipper Richard Leather on what it's like to get close to the finish line.

"The only thing that motivated me to do (the race) was I lost my mother recently and I just figured that life is too short and I've been wanting to do this. This is what I was striving to do. I just figured life was too short and if you're able to do it you should do it now instead of waiting. Just get on with it.'' -- David Marc Finnegan of Crewcut on why he did race.

"What a beautiful wind. They'll go off quick today. This is what they pray for.'' -- Beverly Yacht Club commodore Faith Paulsen on the perfect sailing conditions during the start of the race at Buzzard's Bay.

"Why don't we just keep on going to Bermuda?'' -- Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club commodore Buddy Rego quipped aboard the press boat after all boats crossed the start line. Rego skippered Tsunami to Class A honours in 1993 but did not compete this time.

"I think that I'm a little disappointed that the numbers are down, I have to admit that. I feel sorry for the people who have put a lot of time and energy into organising (the race), but I'm sure their enthusiasm has not been dimmed in one little bit. But I'm sure that inside themselves they're disappointed by the numbers and I'm sure it's just one of those little dips that you see in events and I'm sure in two years time it'll be back up.'' -- Colin Couper of Vivace on the record low fleet at start of this year's race.

"I think everyone suffers from pre-race nerves and everyone tends to try to make a good start and occasionally you do get incidents.'' -- Tonka navigator Gary Venning on what it feels like at the race start.

"To win overall in this race is really out of your hands. I mean, the thing is, what I tell the crew is the only reasonable goal we can have... our goal is to win class. To win overall you need a lot of help from that guy upstairs.'' -- Ron Noonan of Wildflower on the odds of winning first overall. Noonan has done it twice (1983 and 1993) in race history.

"I make some noise. But fun is what this race is all about. You sail the best you can and you try to win.'' -- Scheherazade skipper Leslie Swainson on how he leads his crew and approaches the race.

"Sail fast and safe. That's the gameplan.'' -- David Marc Finnegan of Crewcut on his pre-race strategy.

"I think it makes it considerably more difficult. David Lewis is a computer expert and he'd rather know exactly where he is. He'd rather be pushing buttons and running a programme to know exactly where we are. I have the utmost admiration for the navigators in all the boats that do this Marion race.'' -- Colin Couper of Vivace on the challenge of celestial navigation and how his own navigator copes with it.

"I think the crew is extremely important. I feel you can't really do well in this race unless you have four top-notch helmsmen.'' -- Ron Noonan of Wildflower on one of the many secrets of doing well in the Marion to Bermuda race.

"Being able to take their families and friends to a race that is full of competition and challenge and where you don't have to worry about spinnakers and boats that don't have to have everybody on the rail for the entire race.

It's a rather nice thing to do and people love it.'' -- Beverly Yacht Club commodore Faith Paulsen on what attracts sailors to the Marion to Bermuda race.

"I'd like to win, but if I go back to Bermuda and I haven't won anything it won't have been a loss. It would have been a big learning curve for me and next time I can come back with a vengeance.'' -- David Marc Finnegan of Crewcut on his goals for the race.

"I think it's an exhilerating experience. Anytime you go offshore, you're out there on a small boat and you don't know what to expect. You have to survive whatever comes. There's a fantastic sense of achievement when you actually arrive (in Bermuda). When you get there you've sailed 650 miles and you think `Well, I've done a good job'.'' -- Tonka navigator Gary Venning on the challenge of the Marion to Bermuda race.

"Our priorities are to sail safe and enjoy ourselves and third down the list is to do the best we can. It would be totally unrealistic to expect to be first overall unless there was some freak of nature that allowed us to have our own private wind.'' -- Colin Couper of Vivace on his race strategy.

"It was wonderful, just to get on the boat and step on the boat and the boat is absolutely beautifully appointed. It was also a lot of fun, but not much breeze. We had a nice handy lead. I think even on handicap before we hit the old barrier and we just parked for 16 hours and then we started racing again.'' -- Crew member Francis Carter on Columbine and the lack of wind near the Gulf Stream.

"I don't need to go anywhere fast anymore. My pace has slowed down a lot.'' -- David Marc Finnegan of Crewcut on why he abandoned motorboats in favour of sailing.

"The most significant fun part, big part of the race is, of course, being in Marion and the wonderful hospitality and that's really incredible.'' -- Colin Couper of Vivace on the people of Marion and why he keeps doing the race.

"You know what you want to do. I mean, we've listened to the to the weather forecasts and we've got the briefing on the Gulf Stream. Everyone's got a fairly good idea on the course they'd like to take to Bermuda.'' -- Tonka navigator Gary Venning on the thoughts aboard boats at the race start.

"This is like a dice game.'' -- Scheherazade skipper Leslie Swainson on the challenge of the race.

"I started this beard perhaps three weeks ago for the race. I wanted to feel salty. I had to have someway to outrank my crew members, which I couldn't do with my experience or native authority alone, so I just thought I'd look a helluva lot older.'' -- Columbine skipper Richard Leather on why he grew a beard.

TIME OUT -- The lack of wind at the Gulf Stream kept everyone, including RHADC commodore Buddy Rego, waiting for the first boats to arrive.

MARION RACE SAILING