Eighteen-year-old Bermudian Zander Kirkland will take time out this weekend from playing defensive midfielder for Tabor Academy's soccer team to represent his Marion, Massachusetts school at the US High School National Singlehanded Sailing Championships.

The regatta is being hosted by the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

Kirkland qualified by finishing third in the New England region in the Laser Full-rig and with three other sailors will compete against the best from the mid-west, north-west, California, south-east and south-west.

Last year, he finished third in the Laser Radial Rig designed for lighter sailors.

The fleet is limited to 16 competitors who race multiple short course races over two days, a format very different to the huge fleets and long courses Kirkland experienced this summer in Europe in his first year in the Full-rig.

Kirkland is a senior and captain of the Tabor sailing team.