Top sailor Peter Bromby will be seeking an extra edge on his Olympic rivals in the coming days as he competes in the Greek National Championships.

More importantly than adding to recent European successes ? first at Spa Week in the Netherlands and then Kiel Week in Germany ? the Bermudian Star Class expert is hoping that participating in the Athens event will offer some insight into what he and crew Lee White can expect at next month?s Olympic Games.

The location of their battle for sailing supremacy against the world?s best is a mere half-mile from where the national meet is being held. The sport?s who?s who have therefore descended on Athens, eager to gain any advantage possible from scoping out their Olympic turf ahead of the showdown for gold, silver and bronze.

Not to be outwitted, Bromby?s entourage left the Island on July 5 for the July 8-14 regatta.

?We?re going to do last-minute checks on everything and try to put in a decent performance.

?But more importantly, we want to learn a bit about the conditions and familiarise ourselves with the venue. If we don?t go and our competition gets one up on us that could make the difference between winning a medal or not,? explained the 39-year-old veteran.

Competition-wise being in Athens is not significant but ?you wouldn?t want to miss it in terms of preparation for the Games?, he told .

Overall the Island?s leading skipper is very pleased with his build-up to what could be the crescendo of a stellar international career. Overcoming his peers at the Grade One event in Kiel was a bonus to this year?s Olympic-focused campaign ? as he intended to forego that prestigious regatta because it originally clashed with the Greek championships ? and may be an ominous sign that the Bermudians are getting in gear at just the right time.

Spa and Kiel marked Bromby?s first-ever triumphs in Europe in 13 years of international competition and have put him squarely in the spotlight as sailors contemplate podium honours next month.

?We were happy to get in another high-quality event at Kiel. We haven?t been totally happy with the mast since November, 2002, and we think we have finally found one that we?re very comfortable with and we think we?re on the right track with it.

?It came in the nick of time. We haven?t developed it fully but it?s already ahead of the other one we used at Spa in terms of performance,? noted the Island?s Male Athlete of the Year of the benefits reaped in Germany.

He described the June 19-27 regatta as nail-biting, and that it was as the outcome was not determined until the last of seven races when he held off a strong challenge from world champion Freddy Loof of Sweden and Mark Neeleman of the Netherlands.

?On the final day the three of us were within two points of each other at the top and the rest of the fleet was somewhat adrift and with not much hope,? he recalled.

?In the first race (of the final day) we finished second and beat both people who were close to us. It set up the scenario where us and Freddy Loof were tied going into the last race and Mark Neeleman was a point behind us.?

The Bermudian won the start of the final race and never relinquished control of the proceedings, finishing on 13 points to wrest the title from a fleet of 43 boats. Neeleman was second on 20.5 points and Loof, third on 23.

Asked how much back-to-back victories at Spa and Kiel meant, especially now, Bromby replied: ?We talked about the wave of momentum we were riding after Spa (Week) well, psychologically, the wave just got a little bigger.?