Bermudian sailors are no strangers to the English county of Dorset.Top acts such as Shorty Trimingham, Peter Bromby and more recently brothers Jesse and Zander Kirkland, to name a few, are well known to many residents of Weymouth and Portland.And there are many residents here who have previously worked on cruise liners that once frequented Bermuda’s shores, such as one cab driver who is glad to know that his favourite watering hole, Hog Penny, is still open for business.* * * *There are at least two top international sailors competing at the 2012 Olympics with close ties with Bermuda’s Argo Group Gold Cup.Finn sailor Ben Ainslie, who is England’s most decorated Olympic sailor, is a two-time winner of the prestigious King Edward VII Gold Cup. Top women’s match race sailor Lucy Macgregor is also here competing with sister Kate in the Elliott 6 metre.* * * *The double handed 49er skiff is the fastest dinghy in Olympic sailing and is capable of reaching speeds faster than the wind velocity.The boat, which made its Olympic debut at the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia, is 4.8 metres long, 2.7 metres wide, weighs 75 kilogrammes and is definitely not for the faint of heart.Brothers Jesse and Zander Kirkland are the first Bermudian skiff sailors to represent the Island at the Olympics.* * * *The Olympic Sailing Village in Portland Harbour was once the home of the largest and busiest Royal Naval Heliport in Europe. It also accommodated one of England’s shortest runways at 751 feet.The state-of-the-art facility is currently catering to all of the sailors’ needs, including entertainment, medical and dental and a 24-hour cafeteria.As is the case at most high-profile sporting events these days, the Olympic Sailing Village (and some streets during certain periods) is off limits to the general public and heavily guarded by armed police and soldiers.Even the sailing race course at the Olympic sailing venue is heavily fortified with a Royal Navy ship, complete with helicopters, constantly patrolling the waters outside of Weymouth Bay for added measure.* * * *Past Royal Bermuda Yacht Club commodore Peter Shrubb is the deputy race chairman of women’s match racing in the Elliott 6 meter at these Games.