the international Optimist Dinghy circuit in Europe and North America.

A total of 230 sailors from 53 countries await Bermuda's World Championship team in Portugal beginning today, including all of the Olympic powerhouse countries except Australia.

Sailors are housed together in a village concept to promote cultural exchange and friendship.

The Island team consists of JP Doughty, Zan Kirkland, Alex Lines, Giles Spurling and William Thompson, all aged 15. All except Thompson are veterans of last year's successful US and Canadian tour.

A younger team of AJ Black, Alan Frith, Zane Pedro, Ben Wicks and Lawson Williams will compete in the Mid-Atlantic Junior Olympic Festival in New Jersey (July 27-28) and the US National Championship in Marblehead, Massachusetts (August 1-7), where 300 competitors are expected.

Kirkland will join the team for the US Championships. As part of their final preparations, the ten skippers recently concluded a four-day clinic with US National team coach Scott Norman.

In waters off St. David's, in conditions similiar to those expected in Portugal and Marblehead, Norman drilled the team in starting tactics and big wave boat handling.

They will face a stiff challenge as the Optimist is the international youth boat, with 150,000 active racers worldwide.

Every medal winner at the last two Olympics was an ex-Optimist sailor. This inexpensive dinghy has become the driving force behind the popularisation of sailboat racing.