The Spirit of Bermuda is no longer in a class of her own.

The 112ft three-masted sloop was the sole entry in the Classic Yacht Division in her previous appearances in the Marion Bermuda Race. That will not be the case this year, as Spirit of Bermuda will compete against Tabor Academy’s 92-foot schooner SSV Tabor Boy in the 645-mile ocean race. “We are looking forward to a memorable trip in June to Bermuda,” James Geil, the SSV Tabor Boy captain, said.

“The student crew is ready to go and put their navigation skills to the test in a real-life situation.”

The Marion Bermuda Race is the only offshore race that offers a celestial navigation class.

This year marks Spirit of Bermuda’s third time competing in the race, having made its debut in the 2013 and competed again 2015. Spirit of Bermuda enjoyed its finest moment in the race from Marion, Massachusetts, to St David’s after taking third in line honours in its previous appearance. The sloop was chartered by former Olympic rower Jim Butterfield, whose crew included then Bermuda Governor George Fergusson.

As well as the Marion Bermda Race, Spirit of Bermuda has also competed in the Newport Bermuda Race and the Antigua Bermuda Race.

The sail training vessel is owned by the Bermuda Sloop Foundation and is the brainchild of founder Malcolm Kirkland and co-founders Jay Kempe and Alan Burland.

The sloop was built in Rockport, Maine and launched in August 2006.

The 2019 Marion Bermuda Race starts on June 14 with organisers anticipating about 50 entries to compete.