It is somewhat difficult to fathom how a simple can of concentrated orange juice could launch the career of one of the world's top International One Design (IOD) sailors.

But that is exactly how it all began for past IOD world and Bermuda International Invitational Race Week champion Kevin Farrar.

"My first remembrance of sailing were basically in the bilge of my parents sailboat.

"If they didn't find a babysitter then basically I was onboard for the weekend races," he recalled.

"In those days in New England we never had fresh oranges and so we had these cans of concentrated orange juice which made for a very good kids-sized bailing cup.

"I can still remember scooping the water out with the little cup."

The 57-year-old sailor also recalls cutting his teeth in the sport sailing at a tender age.

"Optimist hadn't been invented yet and so we learned to sail at club level.

"We used to sail in a Wee-Nip which was a 12 foot boat sailed with two children.

"I actually started sailing in the Wee Nip as a crew at age seven and eventually I became a skipper at age 11," he explained.

Among the various classes the Connecticut resident has sailed over the years include Etchells, Laser and the 470 to name a few.

However mention the word IOD and almost spontaneously Farrar's juices begin to flow.

"The IODs are good looking boats and well suited for match racing.

"The dial ups in these boats that are equally rigged are stable enough that they can go head to wind and stay parked like that during a match race.

"I can't think of a better boat for match racing," he said.

The IOD is a classic racing sloop which has become synonymous with Bermuda. There are presently nine active fleets in five different countries.

A frequent visitor to the Island, Farrar has formed life-long relations with local sailors through the years particularly in the IOD fleet.

"The IOD class here in Bermuda is the hub of the world.

"It is firmly established and I think what Jordy Walker (IOD World Class president) and the people here do with the King Edward VII Gold Cup helps to keep the class centre stage in the world of sailing," he said.

Farrar's crowning moment on local surf arrived in 2002 when he captured the coveted Vrengen Gold Cup in the IODs during Race Week - just two years before he won a maiden IOD World Championships on home surf in New York.

"Bermuda is a very beautiful place; it's paradise and it just doesn't get any better. I really look forward to sailing here because the community of sailors in the IOD class have stayed with the boats for decades," he added.

As for his performances in this year's Race Week, Farrar presently remains second, eight points behind local skipper Somers Kempe in the overall IOD standings with four races left to sail in the 'B' Series.

It's sailors such as Kempe who Farrar believes have a bright future ahead of them in the IOD competition.

"I think it's great to see the younger sailors like Somers Kempe and Craig Davis coming along," he said.

"It's really geat to see some of these younger sailors challenging the older sailors in the class. I think they are grasping for the torch."