Following a hectic weekend of training exercises in Hamilton Harbour against both foreign and local sailors, Bermuda's Soling trio for the Olympic Championship qualifying round in Melbourne, Australia early next month say they can't wait for the competition Down Under.

For Nick Jones, Adam Barboza and Craig Davis, the series of pre-tournament match races offered them valuable last-minute preparation.

Jones flies out of the Island today with his two fellow sailors following next week. "The racing was not only excellent, but it was beneficial to us and to the American youngsters here as well. I would also like to thank Paula Lewin and Glenn Astwood who took time out to come and sail against us so that we could get training in against other top people,'' said Jones.

"We must have done about 40 different races. It got us back on the ball, making us realise how much work we have to do because it's totally different from fleet racing.

"You round the marks a different way so the spinnaker goes up on a different set.

"And the start sequences, as everyone knows from the Gold Cup, are so critical in match racing when you are trying to get penalties on people or are trying to get an advantage at the start.'' The Americans, headed by top collegiate sailor Andrew Horton, are also trying to qualify to represent the US and they too welcomed the extra competition.

Jones noted that by establishing a good working relationship with the Americans it would be beneficial in the eventual build-up to the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

Of the local trio, Jones was particularly anxious to get involved on the weekend since he has been less active than the other two over the past year.

"I have only been back in the boat for about nine months while both Adam and Craig are much more advanced sailors. The short, quick races on Saturday and Sunday were particularly good for me,'' he explained.

Emphasis was placed on match racing as that's the biggest challenge facing the locals in Australia.

The competition will start with fleet racing from which the top 16 will enter a match racing regatta. From that, five countries will advance to the Olympics.

"We are confident of reaching the final 16, but if we were unlucky and didn't make it then we would have to wait until the European Championships in July in order to get another chance,'' said Jones.

The Bermuda team will be sailing against 95 other boats in a bid to capture one of the 16 places available for Solings at the Sydney Olympics. After Melbourne the trio head for Florida where they compete in the Miami Olympic Class Regatta.

OLYMPIC TUNE-UP -- Adam Barboza (left), Craig Davis (centre) and Nick Jones, vying to represent Bermuda in the Olympic Soling class, were busy on the weekend competing in numerous practice races against foreign and local opposition in Hamilton Harbour. It marked their final pre-tournament racing on Island waters prior to qualifying rounds in Melbourne, Australia on January 5.