yacht race got off to a colourful start yesterday afternoon with Bermuda's own Tonka leading its class.

Skippered by Paul Hubbard, Tonka sped to the front of Class B as the 84-strong fleet filtered out of Buzzard's Bay.

Another local boat, Tsunami , skippered by Buddy Rego, also got off to a fine start on a day that featured clear skies but little wind, estimated in the range of six to eight knots.

Race Communications Committee chairman Richard Healy said last night the start was uneventful with no significant problems for any of the boats.

According to Healy, though, the skippers at their pre-race meeting on Thursday night anticipated a slow crossing following a briefing from long-time race forecaster Herb Hilgenberg.

Hilgenberg, who is considered one of the best analysts of North Atlantic weather and sea conditions, told skippers to expect light and variable winds until they reached the Gulf Stream.

However, conditions afterwards could see the boats pick up speed with the help of strong westerly winds as they approached Bermuda.

"There were no untoward happenings,'' reported Healy. "We had three boats that went over the starting line early and they all corrected their errors and restarted. So everybody started properly.

"I happened to watch Tonka , Paul Hubbard's boat and he had an excellent start, leading his class by a comfortable margin out of the Bay. Tsunami also had a good start.'' The scheduled 1.30 p.m. start was delayed by 20 minutes with Class F eventually getting the race underway.

The official fleet list had been reduced by one from 85 when a yacht retired before reaching Marion.

Meanwhile, under sunny skies and a light southeast breeze, 28 boats left St.George's Harbour on Thursday on the second leg of the Bermuda One-Two Race.

The boats had arrived a week earlier, having completed the singlehanded leg from Newport.

With a crew member joining the skipper for the 635-mile return leg, the participants were expected to enjoy an easier run back to Newport.

All of the main contenders for combined honours for both legs were well up in their classes as the the boats headed out into the Atlantic.

The 32-foot Kemancha , overall winner of the single-handed leg, was leading her class although her single-handed skipper, Carter Cordner, had been replaced by Jim Hackett with crew Dave Risch.

Single-handed Class One leader, Shere Khan , sailed by Bjorn Johnson and Class Two winner, Bob Dresser's Akasia were also well up in their respective classes as the fleet cleared Bermuda's reefs.

At a pre-race weather briefing, the two-man crews were promised perhaps only a day or so of light southerly winds before picking up a steady southwesterly that might take them at good speed to Newport.

If the predicted wind materialises, the largest and fastest boats led by scratch boat, Mountain Sky Magic , should arrive in Newport early on Monday morning.

The biennial Bermuda One-Two is the only major two-legged shorthanded ocean race sailed on the East Coast, featuring a single-handed leg from Newport to Bermuda and a double-handed return leg.