HE'S a two-time World Champion and four years ago he won the silver medal at the Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada.

And now Bermuda's Sunfish sensation, Malcolm Smith, is hoping to go one better and win the gold medal at this year's Pan Am Games in the Dominican Republic.

"That would be great," he said this week of his hopes to bring home the gold.

And Smith has no greater admirer than Bermuda Olympic Association boss John Hoskins who said: "I believe that Malcolm probably represents our best hope to win a medal this year at the Pan Am Games. He has proven over and over what he can accomplish."

Smith, who won the World Championships in 1994 and 1998, has had a tremendous year in 2002 leading up to this summer's Pan Am Games.

"Last year went very well for me," said the modest sailor. "I had a good year with four major regattas and I reach the qualifying standard for the Pan Am Games in all four."

At the Midwinter Championships in March at the Davis Island Yacht Club in Tampa, Florida, Smith placed third out of 86 sailors.

He then tasted a bit of the sailing in the Dominican Republic at the Caribbean and South American Championships and came second.

At the North American Championships at the Barrington Yacht Club in Rhode Island in August Smith placed second again out of some 50 sailors. In the eight races sailed during the series Smith won three of them but was pipped by Marcus Eagan.

And then at the World Championships in Houston, Texas at the Houston Yacht Club in October Smith placed third behind Eduardo Cordero from Venezuela and John Kolius from the United States.

He said: "In some previous years my performance wasn't the best but last year was much better - I had consistant finishes in all the regattas."

Of his time in the Dominican Republic at the Caribbean and South American Championships, Smith said: "It was held right where the Pan Am Games will be held but a couple of hours away but I imagine the conditions might be similiar. The breeze varied from eight to 20 knots and the conditions were good for me - in fact the conditions were great for sailing in general. Nice waves, nice winds and warm water. Also the hospitality down in the Dominican Republic was excellent. The people were very helpful and they ran a good championship. I placed second and I am looking forward to going back there. I also sailed in the Dominican Republic at a World Championship in 1996. I finished second there as well."

Smith's World Championship crowns were won in 1994 in his home waters of Bermuda and then in 1998 he won when the regatta was staged off Long Island, New York. "I have also been a runner up at four Worlds," he added.

And while Smith does favour sailing in medium to strong winds, he said: "You really can't favour any particular winds. You have to be able to sail in all kinds of weather. Obvously heavier is better for me because the weight factor in a Sunfish has more bearing than perhaps in other classes. You have to be careful of your weight. Your weight will have a bearing on your boat speed compared to, say, a Laser where the weight factor is not as important."

While there can be anywhere of up to 100 boats competing in the World Championship, there is a smaller fleet for the Pan Am Games, said Smith.

"The Pan Ams have a lot smaller fleet so it is not as hard to get a clean start. But there are other factors you have to look at. You can't take flyers and sail all over the course. And one thing is very important for something like the Pan Am Games and that is a good coach. It is important that we not wait too late to get a top coach - someone who can help everyone on the Bermuds team and not be just for one sailor. Locally we do not really have a coach of the calibre you need for a major games. For instance look at Peter Bromby and Paula Lewin who are going to the Olympics in Athens (in 2004). They will get good coaches. Unfortunately a good coach costs money - they do not work for free. These types of things have been settled fairly early before the games and not wait until two weeks or a month before we get a good coach. I feel you should be working with a coach a few months before any major games. I won the silver medal last time and it would be great to win the gold. I plan on working on all aspects of my sailing before the games.

"My season really kicks in during March when I will do the Midwinters and then the Caribbean and South American Championships and then the North American Championships."

Besides those major three regattas Smith would also like to compete in a few smaller weekend regattas on the US east coast.

"They would probably be held in June and July - regattas where you would get maybe 40-50 boats turning out which is not hard because the US has the biggest Sunfish class in the world - they have thousands of members whereas in other countries you may get 80 to 100 members."

When Smith is competing overseas he charters a Sunfish. Unlike some other classes a Sunfish is pretty much standard around the world. "It is made at one factory - they sell up to 1,000 a year which is a lot. The boats that come out are all relatively the same weight which is good for the class because it keeps everything quite even."

Smith has been competing in the Sunfish class for over 30 years and during that time has come up against top competitors from all over the world - two of whom he will be racing against at the Pan Am Games.

"The main competitors are Donnie Martinborough from the Bahamas who has qualified and then there is Eduardo Cordero from Venezuela who is the present World Champion. He is an incredible sailor and has won seven World Championships. And then the Canadians and US will be sending top sailors as well - they medalled in 1999 at the Pan Am Games."

And while Smith is extremely competitive against the likes of Cordero and Martinborough on the water, they are very close friends off it.

"We all know each other so well. They are great guys and it is always fun to see each other at major regattas - we are like long-lost friends."