Zander Kirkland is using the feats of two of Bermuda's sailing heroes to drive him in his quest for some glory of his own.

The 20-year-old Laser sailor, who is competing in the Pan-Am Games in Santo Domingo, would love nothing more than to be mentioned in the same breath as Olympians Peter Bromby and Alan Burland at some point in the future.

When he first started out on the water, such things were furthest from his mind, but Kirkland says that outlook has changed somewhat in recent years.

"It was never really a dream early on," he said as he prepared his boat on Saturday at Club Nautico in Boca Chica. "I just sailed to have fun and then once I got a little better I would do a bit more and it just kind of progressed and progressed.

"It wasn't like 'I want to go to the Olympics'.

"I have always seen people like Bromby and Alan Burland as role models but I didn't really put two and two together until a few years ago. I realised that maybe I could get to that level if I kept on progressing."

Much of that progression has come in the past 12 months or so for the Tufts University student. At last check he was ranked 163rd in the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) list and with some good showings on the European circuit this summer he should continue his steady rise towards the world's elite.

One of his best performances came in Germany at the Kiele Woche when he made the Gold Fleet - a landmark he is keen to prove was not just a one-off.

"Last year when I went to Europe and competed in the Europeans I was in the middle of the Silver Fleet and I didn't do very well," he said.

"Then I went to Europe this year and was at Kiele with pretty much the same people and made Gold Fleet which was huge. It was light air, which is more my conditions, but I was still happy to be able to put that kind of regatta together.

"The challenge now is to do that again and a regatta like this will be good training for that."

Kirkland, who due to the constraints placed on him by his educational requirements, sails far less than many of his competitors, is planning to place more emphasis on his sport next year.

"Hopefully, next Spring I am going to take the semester off and sail full time," he said. "It's not always the case, but I am hoping that extra time in the boat will help me qualify for the (Olympic) Games."

For now Kirkland will be happy to just be in sight of the fleet leaders at the Pan-Ams when his event begins today.

"Some of these people I haven't sailed against so I'd like to reset my goals after the first day or two, but I'd like to finish in the top half. There's 15 boats so the top seven or eight would be nice," he said.

"You can beat the best in a race here and there but eventually the cream will come to the top. If I get the conditions I think I can beat them in any given race, but to beat them over a series is very difficult."