Between them they?ve been to the Olympics, the Pan-Ams and the World Youth Championships and now three Bermuda sailors are going to the Shetland Isles.

Brett Wright, Sara Lane Adderley and Katrina Williams form Bermuda?s team for the Small Island Games in July and know very little between them about what they are getting into.

The three Laser sailors will compete in the cold water off Scotland, Wright in the full rig and the ladies in the radials, and should be in with a good shout of medals because of Bermuda?s pedigree if nothing else.

?Bermuda produces world-class sailors,? said Alastair Williams, Katrina?s father and a member of the Bermuda Sailing Association.

?We are taking a strong team up there and I can?t see that we won?t do well. We have had world champions in pretty much every class so that must make us a favourite in the Island Games.

?To be perfectly honest, I know very little about the other competitors, we will be on a steep learning curve when we get there.?

Wright, who has attempted to do some research ahead of the competition to which Bermuda are sending more than 150 athletes, is a little better placed to be confident.

?I looked at the names of the people who competed in 2003 and I didn?t recognise any of them to be honest,? said Wright, who has competed all over the world in his years on the surf.

?There are some good laser sailors from Scandinavia, although I don?t know if they we will be competing there because I don?t know enough about the other islands.

?I have looked into the weather conditions and it is pretty cold down there ? I think I will have to come up with a new celebration if I do win, because there is no way I?m jumping in!

?As far as I can work out, the only pattern in the weather down there is that it is varied. There doesn?t appear to be a norm, the conditions just form because of whatever weather system is passing through ? so I guess sailing in Bermuda will help us because it?s the same over here.?

Although it is clear that the Games, for the sailors at least, don?t necessarily represent the best overseas competition, the team are still all looking forward to competing in the event.

?It should be interesting to go and watch the other events and see other Bermudians compete,? continued Wright.

?I don?t imagine we will get a lot of people watching because sailing doesn?t really lend itself to spectators and I can?t imagine too many of the other athletes are going to want to come on a spectating boat when it?s cold. But I?m sure it will be a great event and it is certainly something different for us.?

Originally the plan was for Bermuda to send two senior competitors and two junior ones, but due to a variety of circumstances, 16-year-old Williams will be the sole representative from the next generation of Island sailors.