Zander Kirkland?s Olympic dream is still burning bright.

The 21-year-old Laser sailor finished 37 out of 58 boats in the Princess Sofia Cup in Mallorca, Spain, but was happy that the people he beat were the right ones to finish ahead of if he wants a trip to Athens this summer.

Kirkland, whose eyes are on the world championships in Turkey next month where he can gain his Olympic qualification, has had a tough week after as many as eight hours a day of solo sailing

?There were windy and chilly conditions out there,? he told

?I am pretty happy with it because many of the top Europeans and other foreigners were here as well, it was very good practice for the world championships and that is where I need to perform so I can get my Olympic spot.

?The Worlds will all be about who I finish ahead of and here I did pretty well. I beat the guys from Cyprus and Singapore ? those are some of my competition for Athens.

?The fleet was always very tight which made finding clear air tricky but I had a great comeback in the last race today (Friday). I rounded the last upwind mark in the mid 30s and finished 21st, I sailed right by at least 12 boats ? I was riding a beautiful puff, which seemed to be personal.?

One of Kirkland?s biggest challenges is his relative lack of size ? and therefore strength ? compared to his competitors and it is not something he has enough to time to work on due to the constant sailing he has been doing on his European tour

?The guys I am up against are ripped,? he continued. ?I am still trying to put on more weight, but it is difficult with all the sailing I have been doing ? working hard on the water for eight hours a day makes it hard to take in more calories than you burn.?

As well as the physical demands of the solo Laser class, Kirkland also has to contend with the loneliness of life as a sailor far away from friends, families and his Tuft University?s team-mates after taking a sabbatical from college to concentrate on his Athens dream.

?I know the other sailors, but most of them are pretty serious and stick to themselves,? he added. ?The South Americans and Canadians are my best allies. But it is just one of the things I have to deal with. It will be worth it if I can get to the Olympics.?

Next stop for Kirkland is the Hyrres Euro Olympic Regatta in France, which doesn?t start until April 23, giving the youngster a well-earned break from his long days on the water ? but it will be a big event for which to prepare.

?I need a little break because there has been a lot of sailing recently,? he added.

?I will start training at the regatta venue probably around the 15th or so. It will be very similar to the Worlds, with all the same people there.?

Young Bermudian Eleanor Gardner has made history by becoming the first female member of the Bermuda Optimist Dinghy Association to notch a first place finish in an IODA Continental Championships.

Gardner is among a team of 12 young Bermudians currently competing at the South American Optimist Championships in Algarrobo, Chile.

And in one of the races earlier this week she led the fleet home in a regatta which is regarded as second only to the Worlds.

Bermuda?s sailors have been competing in the team championships but as of last night there was no further word on how they had fared.