Top Bermuda sailor Peter Bromby is eyeing first place in the 2003 Rolex Miami Olympic Classes Regatta, starting next Tuesday.

He leaves the Island today determined to improve on his second-place finish in the Star class at last year's event in the United States.

However, he is under no illusions about the challenge he faces over the five days of racing at Coral Reef Yacht Club.

"We feel confident that we are capable of winning it. There are probably ten teams capable of winning. Based on what I understand, the competition will be as strong as ever this year.

"We're looking forward to racing against all the best (teams) and being competitive," he saidlast night.

Bromby is looking forward to being in the new boat which he got last year just ahead of the World Championships. It will be the first time he is using the Italian-manufactured vessel since the Worlds and, he admitted, he cannot wait.

"We're quite excited to get back to it. We've begun to get the kinks out of it and already we're doing very well with it and we expect to get better.

"We think this new boat is beautiful and that it's the key to our success this year," said the sailor who previously always used a boat by German manufacturers Mader.

Apart from the boat, another difference will be a change of crew as Lee White returns in place of Martin Siese. It will be White's first time in international competition since he and Bromby finished fourth in the Star class at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

"It's a huge commitment for one person to make so the two of them will be sharing the regattas this year. "The idea is that down the road we will make a decision on who will go to the Olympics next year," explained Bromby who is sponsored by ACE.

After this competition, he is scheduled to compete in two more regattas in Miami in March.

The first is the Bacardi Cup in the first week of the month and then the US Pre-Olympic Trials to which he has been invited.

Another top Bermudian sailor, Paula Lewin, is competing in the Yngling Class of the Rolex Miami regatta.