Benn Smith will be looking to start his campaign at the 2019 World Cup Series Miami on the front foot.

The 19-year-old sailor is making his debut at the regatta, which commences today in Miami, Florida, and is competing in the single-handed Olympic class Laser dinghy against some of the world’s elite.

Smith has prepared himself well for the event and is going in feeling highly optimistic about his chances of achieving his main objective.

“A goal of mine for this event is to make gold fleet, which is top half,” the 2020 Olympic hopeful said. “If I can do that it will feel like I’ll be almost where I need to be to qualify for the Olympics.”

The son of former World Sunfish champion and Olympian Malcolm Smith arrived in Miami early to acclimatise to the conditions.

“Training here in Miami has felt really good,” Smith added. “I feel really fast and prepared.”

Prior to arriving in Miami the Bermuda national Laser champion participated in a training camp in Mexico.

“I did a ten-day camp in Mexico late December early January which I feel has helped me a lot in working towards this event,” Smith said.

“I learnt a lot of new things with a coach (Luis Chippario) I hadn’t worked with before and coming to the training here (Miami) I was able to get a new boat from Australia which has felt really good. I haven’t felt faster so that’s good.”

The World Cup Series is an annual circuit of Olympic sailing for elite and professional sailors.

This year marks the 30th edition of the event taking place in Miami where 650 sailors from 60 nations will compete in ten different classes.

“The competition is the best in the world,” Smith said.

“This is my first year doing the World Cup Miami round. You have to get invited to sail in them World Cup Series) and this is the first year that I got an invite.”

The 2019 World Cup Series Miami will be contested on the waters of Biscayne Bay and runs from January 29 to February 3.