But so far they have been unable to get down to the serious business of sailing due to skipper Jesse having come down with a stomach bug.“We are ready to go training, but unfortunately Jesse is fighting a stomach bug and so we couldn’t sail today (yesterday),” said crewman Zander. “So for now we hope Jesse gets a good rest and we can get sailing.”The Kirklands will be among over 700 sailors competing at next week’s World Cup regatta in Weymouth which will enable them another opportunity to test their skills against the world’s elite.“It’s fun to be at the venue, makes the Olympic qualification sink in more because many of the other Olympic qualifiers are here,” Zander said. “The venue with its London 2012 branding gives us more focus and intensity to attack these final two months before the Olympic regatta.”The Kirklands qualified for the upcoming Games after placing ninth at the 49er World Championships in Zadar, Croatia earlier this month.It was the culmination of years of hard work, sacrifice and dedication to the cause.“The World’s was an intense regatta, we were among 17 countries vying for the final five spots (Olympic) and there were many deserving teams who had a realistic shot,” Zander said. “Our primary goal for the event was to focus on sailing a good world championship and avoid getting too absorbed in the qualification hunt. We knew if we sailed to our potential, our qualification to the Olympics would be taken care of.”The Kirklands captured their first two wins and managed ten top ten finishes in Croatia to keep their medal hopes alive right up to the final day of racing off the shores of the Sailing Club Uskok.They made history in becoming the first local Skiff sailors to qualify for the Olympics and also reached the medal race for the first time sailing at this level against the world’s elite.“It’s a tremendous and almost surreal feeling to, after two and half years of sailing 49ers, be at a level where we are battling with the top ten,” Zander said. “What an amazing feeling.“When we just began sailing 49ers we finished 2nd to last at the 2010 World Championships.”The former Newport Harbor Yacht Club junior program director owes much of the team’s latest success to the expert advice of coach and multiple Olympic medallist Ramon Oliden.“Ramon has been instrumental in our jump to the top with his insightful nuances of the 49er and skiff tactics,” Zander said. “Ramon is a world class coach who has a proven track record and a good eye for little things that make a big difference.”Argentinian Ramon has since joined forces with the Kirkland’s Olympic rivals from Spain.In his absence veteran British 49er sailor Mark Asquith will coach the brothers in the lead up to and during the Olympics while former Finn sailor Paul Hiles will serve as team manager.The brothers have chartered a boat owned by a past Olympic medallist in Southampton to be used for the upcoming Skandia Sail for Gold to be held June 4-9.