BERMUDA'S Malcolm Smith will be going for his fourth world title when he competes at the Sunfish Worlds starting on Monday on the waters of Lake Erie.

Besides winning three Sunfish world titles, Smith has won two Pan American Games silver medals and a CAC bronze medal. In fact last year Smith almost secured his fourth Sunfish world title when he finished second at the 2007 Worlds held on the waters off New Jersey.

"There are going to be some very good sailors there," said Smith this week before leaving for the championships which will be hosted by the Buffalo Canoe Club at Crystal Beach, Ontario, Canada. Smith first won the Sunfish Worlds in 1994 and then did it again in 1998 and 2003. The former Athlete of the Year is nearing his 50th birthday but showed he still has world-class ability last year when he nearly grabbed his fourth world title.

And then two weeks ago he won Bermuda's National Laser Championships. Smith topped Brett Wright to win the regatta after eight long races over two days in draining 15-20 knots winds.

"It was tough conditions," said Smith of the Laser Championships. "Actually is was good preparation going into these World Championships."

Unlike when he is sailing in Bermuda regattas, the Worlds will be a big fleet. "They limit the Worlds now to 72 boats which is still a big fleet," said Smith adding that he has been sailing all year round.

"For the past six months I have been sailing Lasers and the full rig is a good physical boat and it keeps you in shape. Also I have been sailing with Martin Vezina ¿ a Canadian sailor who is married to a Bermudian. He will also be competing next week and in the past he has sailed in the Pan Am Games. We have been training together for a couple of months ¿ it is nice to have someone like that to sail against. He is a good sailor and has done well in the Etchell fleet but sails Lasers occasionally. We are both flying out on Friday (today) and we will get the boats on Saturday."

All the sailors will be new boats. "They will be right out of the box," said Smith adding that they will have a practice race on Sunday before the real action starts on Monday.

"There are four race days ¿ Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and there will be a three races a day. Twelve races in all and if they do manage to get in all 12 races you will be able to throw out two results. Otherwise it will be just one throwout. race. It will be tiring doing three races a day for four days in a row. It is going to be physical but I feel in good shape."

Remembering last year's Worlds, Smith said: "Last year I was second and it would be nice to go one better. There are going to be some very good sailors there ¿ we will have some past world champions, medallists from Olympics as well as medallists from the Pan American Games. There will also be a good representation of international sailors and of course there will be some good Canadian sailors there as well. It will be interesting.

"Weather wise we will probably get a little bit of everything."

Smith added: "My first Worlds was in 1975. I have missed a couple along the way but not too many. I would say I have sailed in over 25 Worlds. I have had three wins and five runners-up spots and a lot of top tens."

l Bermuda's Dimitri Stevens of Bermuda was holding down third place in the Optimist Canadian Sailing Championships being staged at the Lunenburg Yacht Club, Nova Scotia yesterday.

Junky Perdoma of Puerto Rico was in first place after seven races while Ian Barrows of the Virgin Islands was in second place.

There are 96 boats competing in the event and Bermuda has seven youngsters competing ¿ a number of whom started with the Waterwise programme.