A line up of big boats is looking at weather conditions that could give them a new record time for the Auckland-Tauranga race starting 10am tomorrow.

The current record is 9 hours, 35 minutes, 1s, set in 2004 by super maxi Zana.

Giacomo is capable of taking the race record in the right conditions.

To beat it, the winner has to maintain an average speed of 13.5 knots for the 120 nautical mile course.

The Volvo open 70 Giacomo, and the Orma 60 trimaran Team Vodafone Sailing are entries this year both capable of taking the record in the right conditions.

While MetService warns of gales and floods, 26 skippers and their crews are hoping the gusts accompanying the passing weather front aren't strong enough to delay the start.

'The big boats have an awesome opportunity of cracking that record we feel,” says race chairman Graham Vincent.

'So that's what we are expecting, an enormous blow, and then for it to drop out. But if it blows in the right direction it should have all the hall marks of a classic race.”

Forecast conditions are for strong tail winds down the Coromandel coast, but the breeze will drop out once the weather passes.

"If there's a delayed start race leaders may find by the time they clear Cape Colville at the north end of the Coromandel Peninsula, the weather system and associated strong north easterlies is too far east to be any good.”

Team Vodafone Sailing is also capable of taking the record in the right conditions.

Graham says if there's any element of risk to human life or boats, they will seriously look at the options.”

'I won't make that decision myself, there's committee of four people. We have got people who have been yachting for years and years and years – lots of experience who have that task of checking how it goes.”

The decision on the start time will be announced to race skippers about 9am.