As captains and crew of the 163 yachts make final preparations for the 635-mile classic and townsfolk turn up the volume on the pre-race festivities, the weather forecast, not surprisingly, has become a popular topic of discussion.

For the residents of this pretty seaside town, still trying to dry out from more than seven inches of rain so far this month, it's not good. For the sailors though, it's once again prompted speculation about a record crossing.

Sailing types simply refer to it as "weather'': Winds and waves that turn the stomachs of mere mortals into last night's Jello. Specifically, reports are of another two fronts approaching the area later this week, backed by high winds -- coming from the southwest no less -- for tomorrow afternoon's start.

Race skippers and their navigators will receive their final weather briefing tonight, then they're on their own (information garnered from the satellite uplinks that many boats possess are not allowed).

But if the preliminary forecast is accurate, Boomerang's mark of 57 hours, 31 minutes and 50 seconds, set just two years ago, seems certain to fall.

George Coumanteros' boat is one of five in the fleet using the race as the final stage of the IMS Maxi World Championships. All are big, new, frighteningly fast and stocked with some of the world's top sailors.

They've been racing twice daily since Saturday in often harrowing conditions as part of the New York Yacht Club's 144th annual regatta and the Onion Patch Series. They wrapped up yesterday and have one day's rest before Friday's trans-Atlantic voyage.

But in a blow to the hopes of one of them, skipper Russ Coutts was on Tuesday forced to bow out as skipper of Hasso Plattner's Morning Glory because of illness. Coutts, of course, is the America's Cup winner from New Zealand and has been an annual participant in the Bermuda Gold Cup.

It was not immediately known who was taking over from him. Alec Rhys is the boat captain and Ken Read drove her on Tuesday. Aboard the boat are ten America's Cup sailors from Australia and New Zealand, including Olympic medallist Craig Monk.

Morning Glory has struggled in the early going but the crew were optimistic.

"We're more of an offshore boat than around-the-cans,'' Monk told the Providence Journal-Bulletin. "We like ocean racing... and we have high hopes for Bermuda.'' Meanwhile, on board Sayonara , Chris Dickson, another Kiwi, who has sailed Larry Ellison's 70-footer well, won yesterday's race to top the overall standings, and has high expectations.

"We've beaten Boomerang three or four times,'' Dickson said. "If it's going to be a record year, we're in the hunt.''