Multiple All-American sailor, Jesse Kirkland, will put his skills to the test against some of Britain's finest collegiate sailors next month.

Kirkland is part of a six-member team comprised of the best collegiate sailors the US has to offer who will square off against their English counterparts in a series of match racing, fleet racing and team racing matches sailing in various classes such as the Laser and Fire Fly.

"It's a bunch of events in which we are competing at different venues throughout England and should make for some very interesting racing," Kirkland said, moments before boarding a flight to the US to join up with his fellow team-mates.

The biennial event is sanctioned by the British University Sailing Tour and was last hosted by the US in 2007 when they captured the team racing title in mediocre conditions on the East Coast.

Kirkland, 21, has been an integral part of St.Mary's Seahawks success in recent years and much of the American's hopes for glory in the UK next month will rest on the Bermudian's shoulders.

The Seahawks captured their seventh overall Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) Spring National crown earlier this month with Kirkland posting two top five finishes to hold his end of the bargain.

The former PHC Zebras footballer now stands to gain valuable exposure sailing in local conditions in England where he hopes to represent Bermuda at the 2012 Olympic Games competing in the 49er skiff along with elder sibling Zander.

Kirkland has previous experience sailing in the UK having done so at the Optimist level.

"It is very interesting sailing in the UK because they sail on a lot of man made lakes as well as on the ocean," he explained.

The past Optimist North American champion is confident he and his US team-mates will rise to meet the challenges that lay ahead in the UK.

He said: "I think we will fare pretty well because I believe college sailing in the US is a little more advanced in terms of team racing than British Universities.

"But it would be good to see how good they are having not sailed against them in a couple of years.

"They team race in a different style than we do; they are a little prone to use the rules as a sword as opposed to the Americans who use them more as a shield. It's just a different perception of team racing and should be very interesting."

Also representing the US in England (July 6-22 ) is 2009 ICSA Sailor of the Year, Charles Buckingham, who attends Georgetown University.

Earlier this month Kirkland was put through his paces by world renowned sailing coach Ramon Oliden before finishing runner up behind Stevie Dickinson in the Long Distance Comet Race.

Oliden, who coached Spain to a silver medal at last summer's Olympic Games in Beijing in the 49er, is currently assisting the Kirkland brothers to acclimatise to the extremely testing Olympic class design that is certainly not for the faint at heart.

The Kirkland brothers plan to compete in the 49er at next year's Miami Olympic Class Regatta and World Championships in Bahamas before sailing on a full-time basis once Jesse completes studies at St.Mary's College next May.

n An eight-strong contingent of local Optimist sailors left for the Dominican Republic yesterday where they will compete in the 2009 International Optimist Dinghy Association North American Championships to be held June 30 through July 8th.

Representing Bermuda, who are coached by Paul Doughty, are advanced Opti skippers Owen Siese and MacKenzie Cooper as well as Dimitri Stevens, Connor Astwood, Rahiem Steede, Kalin Hillier, Antonio Bailey and Makai Joell.

Last weekend saw Siese (6th) and Cooper (15th) put in solid performances at the Scotiabank Caribbean International Optimist Regatta in St.Thomas.

There are approximately 200 sailors from 24 different countries set to compete in the Dominican Republic where Bermuda coach Doughty believes conditions will enhance the Island's chances for success.