IF Government goes ahead and implements its massive increase in boat duty then Bermuda's most successful sport on the international stage will suffer so much that the days when the island competed in the Olympics, Pan American Games and numerous World Championships could be over.

"I am not being alarmist when I say that this boat duty hike will kill the sport. I really believe that #8211; I am not exaggerating," said Deb Gravelle the programme director of the Bermuda Sailing Association which has pleaded with Government not to raise the duty of those boats in which Bermuda competes in #8211; boats like the Optimist Pram, Laser, 420 and other competition dinghies.

Gravelle is hoping that Government can distinguish between what she calls programme and competition boats and the luxury big pleasure yachts. Government wants to increase the duty on all boats #8211; not just luxury yachts #8211; from the present 33 and a half percent to a whopping 55 percent.

Gravelle said she has met with Government officials including Sports Minister El James this week to try and explain the plight of Bermuda's sailors #8211; athletes who have brought back gold and silver medals from the Pan American Games and who have won World Championships as well as those who have come within a hair of winning an Olympic medal on three occasions.

She said: "The programme (competitive dinghies and training dinghies) boats are being lumped in with the pleasure boats and I do not think a lot of people know the difference #8211; and there is a big difference between the likes of an Optimist Pram and an luxury yacht.

"The programme boats are those boats we compete in or use as trainer boats #8211; the Optimist Pram, the 420 and 29er along with the Laser and Laser Radial which are Olympic classes. You also have boats like the Sunfish which Malcolm Smith won three World titles in and also brought home a Pan American gold medal and a silver medal. Then there are the competition boats like the J-24, the Etchell, the IOD #8211; boats designated (as competition boats) by ISAF.

"Right now Bermuda is struggling as it is even without this added tax. The boats here are so old #8211; I am amazed at how people keep them up. In most other countries these Lasers and Optis would be sitting in the boatyard. Bermuda has the oldest boats I have ever seen #8211; the boats here are ancient. The J-24s, the IODs and Etchells are dinosaurs. But it is testament to the people who really love to sail that they keep them up so well. But these are really, really old boats. Anywhere else these boats would not be sailed competitively.

"The Comets are really old and even our Opti fleet is old. At the current prices we don't bring many in #8211; we just do the best we can. What we have now is in desperate need of replacing as it is."

Gravelle said one of the criticisms she hears is that sailing is an exclusive sport. But that is, and continues to be, changing she said.

"I know the Minister (James) said he wants sailing to be more inclusive and we have had tons of pressure to have that happen. We now have the Waterwise programme and we get these kids in now from Government schools. We are making progress. We are making it more inclusive."

But with the rise in duty all that hard work will be undone.

"This rise in duty will pull the rug out of the whole thing. This duty will make sailing even more exclusive. It doesn't make a darn bit of sense.

"I have sailed mainly in the US but also in many other countries and the thing that I am amazed at is the level of sailing here. These kids are out there practicing all of the time. Just look at their boat-handling skills #8211; in Bermuda you have the ability of being able to train all year round and that translates into really good sailors. They are seriously at the top of the game. But if this duty comes in all that effort will go to waste."

And while there are the Brombys and Smiths in Bermuda at the senior level competing against the best in the world, Gravelle said the future is looking brighter than ever with the young sailors who are coming up.

"In the Optimist class last year we came second in the North American Championships and fifth at the World Championships. The highest we have come in the World Championships is second. In the last five or six years we have had someone in the top 10 at the Worlds every year #8211; and we are talking about competing against 200-300 sailors. Those kids are the best in the world and they are from every country. It is a very big deal."

Gravelle remains optimistic that Government will have a rethink when it comes to raising the duty for those boats Bermuda competes in.

"My gut tells me that nobody in their right mind can want to do this deliberately. Government cannot be that cruel. I have to think that when Government was doing it (the Budget) they were not thinking about the whole broad picture. They can't be that cruel. I can't imagine that they would sit there and say 'sorry it (the tax) is still going up'."

She added: "If we are going to succeed (on the world's stage) my gut instinct says that it will be in sailing. There is so much talent here. It would be sad to penalise it."

The BSA also sent Government a letter last week saying: " (The) duty increases may inadvertently effect the sport of competitive sailing with the duty rate for boats being raised to 55 percent. The youth and adult sporting aspect of sailing may have been overlooked by the Ministry when designing the change and it is our responsibility as the National Governing Body of the sport of sailing to point this out and let you know how it may negatively affect sports in Bermuda.

"Boating is often generalised as a luxury activity but it also represents a long-standing sport that has helped put Bermuda on the sporting world map. It is this sport of sailing that is enjoyed by young and old Bermudians from all walks of life, all year long and is the source of much national sporting pride. Bermuda has come within inches of Olympic glory on three occasions since 1956 when sailing was first introduced as an Olympic sport.

Bermuda has achieved two fourth place finishes (1984 and 2000) and a fifth place finish in 1964. Out of the 117 athletes sent to the Olympic Games since 1956, over half have been sailors.

"In 2006/2007 over 80 sailors represented Bermuda in international competition. The recent increase of duty on boats will virtually halt any new dinghy or keelboat purchases for competition in Bermuda. The inability to grow 'one design' class racing will hurt the competition at all levels.

"Bermuda Youth Sailing has had a meteoric rise in local interest and global success over the past 10 years with consistent podium finishes at the pinnacle of the sport during Continental and World championships. No other sport in Bermuda can come close to the record of achievement on the world stage. The Bermuda Sailing Association (BSA) in partnership with the Department of Education developed the WaterWise programmed, which has a specific land and water based curriculum and introduces sailing and the water to all Government Middle School Year 1 students. This has produced new interest in the sport after the course and with the help of funding from the Bermuda Sailing Association, the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club, the Ross Blackie Talbot Foundation and the ACE Foundation interested children have been able to enjoy year round and summer programmes and become advanced sailors. The success has been so great that currently three of the 10 members of the Bermuda National Youth Team are WaterWise graduates. These young boys and girls will travel the world representing their country at a very high level.

"With the increase in duty even small racing dinghy purchases are out of the question as the price will be over $5,000 for a complete new boat and sail."

Chuck Millican, who was the sailing director of the Bermuda Yachting Association which is now called the Bermuda Sailing Association, said the United Bermuda Party also tried to bring in the 55 percent tax back in 1994.

"My recollection is that they came in with the 55 percent duty on all boats and we proposed that all youth training boats as well as Olympic class boats come in duty free and all class boats that actively race here in Bermuda would come somewhere in between. They came back with 33 percent for everything and 55 for all cruising boats. Our second proposal the follow year was to encourage BOCA racing and those boats be a BSA class. They came in 33 percent. And then they repealed that (reduced duty for BOCA boats)."

Millican said while he was very, very unhappy with the proposed increase in tax, he was not that surprised.

"The bottom line is I do not think they care. I think they figure that sailing is still a rich sport sailed by the wealthy and that they can afford it. And if they do go through with this increase they are going to make that statement true.

"Sailing is being penalised now. It is going to stop all the grass roots sailing #8211; they are going to make the sport more exclusive."

And he said sailing should be made a national sport because "realistically it is the only sport we have a chance of getting Olympic medals in".

Millican added: "That is not to say there are not other great athletes out there. Just look what (Commonwealth Games gold medalist in the high jump) Nicky Saunders did and (World Indoor triple jump champion) Brian Wellman did. Those guys were tremendous but they are once in a generation athletes."

And Millican echoed many when he said that if Government had a reasonable tax on boats they would end up making more money.

"I know of people who were going to bring in some boats #8211; big boats #8211; but they are not now. That has cost the Government money right there.

"And then that tax is really going to hurt the training programmes. I just took an order today for six Optimists for one of the sailing programmes and now they are desperately trying to get them in before April 1 because it will save them the money. This club is just starting a junior programmed and they are stretched to start it as it is #8211; and then when you add another 20 percent it makes it very, very tight and perhaps unfeasable."

Bermuda Olympic Association boss John Hoskins said that while he certainly would not want to get into the middle of Government business or policy, he did think the idea needed a rethink.

He said this week: "I don't like get into involved in political or financial arguments but I think really it would be simple of Government to change that (tax proposal). It seems to me they are looking at the really big boats. I think unfortunately these (smaller dinghies) have been caught up in it. It would be nice if the tax increase was removed for smaller boats. Maybe make it for boats of a smaller length #8211; for instance anything under 14 feet. That would solve most of the problems. It seems to me that Government would be willing to do that. I don't think the revenue they would get from these small sailing boats would be very much."