today which they hope will culminate with an appearance at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.

Megan Spurling, the only Bermudian to win a race at this month's Nautica World Youth Championships hosted by Bermuda, is joining Elizabeth Walker, who represented the Island at the Pan Am Games in Argentina last March, to race in the highly competitive 470 class.

And the local pair's expedition begins this Saturday when they compete at the Pre-Olympics in Savannah, Georgia where the top two 470 crews from a number of countries will continue their build-up towards next year's Atlanta Olympics.

Walker, who celebrates her 21st birthday later this week, and 19-year-old Spurling, have left their bid for the '96 Games too late, but they're intent on flying the Bermuda flag when the Olympics go Down Under four years later.

"Many 470 teams sail the boat eight years or more before they are experienced enough to qualify for the Olympics. We're only just starting,'' explained Walker yesterday.

"We don't expect to be even competitive this weekend. We're going for the experience, to learn as much as we can. We felt it was an opportunity we shouldn't miss.'' From the Pre-Olympics, the pair will continue their campaign at various regattas throughout the summer before heading to McGill University in Montreal where both will be active on the varsity sailing team.

Walker has already spent two years at the university studying international business, while Spurling is about to begin a languages course.

Early next month they travel to Toronto for the 470 World Championships where again a number of Olympians and past world champions will sail in a fleet numbering more than 150.

And later in the month they compete at the Canadian Olympic Classes Regatta in Kingston, Ontario which doubles this year as the 470 class North American Championships and Canadian national team qualifier.

While both have represented Bermuda in Laser Radials for the past two years, only Walker is familiar with the 470s, having sailed in that class since 1990.

But she says of her new partner: "Megan's skippering experience will be invaluable for tactics.''