It is the skipper to whom the accolades go when it comes to sailing success ... all the praise, all the glory.

So has it been that while Peter Bromby receives trumpet calls from all corners regarding Bermuda's exploits in Sydney, long-time crew White is often lost in the proverbial shuffle.

For many, the slight would create a `chip' the size of Mount Everest.

But not White -- he would have it no other way.

Modest to a fault, White not only recognises himself as the muscle to Bromby's tactical finesse, but relishes the support role.

Not that he shuns the spotlight -- especially when one considers White stands at more than six feet tall and weighs 200-plus pounds and is hard to miss in any crowd -- he prefers the shadows and seeks not glory in the eyes of the public.

Rather, his is a personal venture ... a passionate quest.

And so it was that White made the trek more than halfway around the world to Sydney to partner Bromby in what unfurled as Bermuda's most successful Olympic sailing campaign.

Eclipsing the legends of Kirk Cooper, a three-time Olympian, and Alan Burland -- both of whom recorded fifth-place finishes at earlier Games -- White and Bromby sailed into the history books on the crest of a spectacular fourth-place finish in the Star Class.

Arriving back on the Island yesterday following a 36-hour passage from Down Under, White reflected upon his experiences in the land previously more notable for kangaroos, koalas and the dreaded great white shark.

"Certainly fourth at the Olympics is nothing to be ashamed of,'' said White, once again reunited with his family of wife Lesley, daughters Kelsey and Katelyn and son Conor. "We're not disappointed, although it would have been nice to go one or two spots higher ... but at the end of the day it wasn't meant to be.

"We went there to compete, were competitive and in the running the whole time.

"We felt like we were in the fight this time, whereas at the last Olympics we competed but weren't really in the thick of things.'' Indeed, after an admittedly below par result at the 1996 Games in Atlanta, where 13th place was the final outcome, Sydney provided a much improved scenario.

Add in the fact that they are part-timers of limited resources competing in an arena that rewards the highly financed and the achievement glows even more brightly.

No. White and Bromby did it the old-fashioned way ... they earned it! "It showed what can happen when you put in a good effort,'' continued White, who has a full-time vocation of managing the family business that includes the Little Theatre and Ice Queen restaurants.

"This hasn't been a one-year effort. In Peter's case it's been nine years, while for me it's been eight, because you're not going to get overnight results at the top level without hard work.

"Most of the world's top sailors, like those of the other sports, are full-time athletes and that is what they do day in and day out.

"We've put in an effort that hasn't been full-time because of family constraints on both mine and Peter's side. But it goes to prove that if you go in with the right frame of mind and the right amount of preparation, Bermuda, regardless of its small size, can do well at the top level.

"And hopefully it sends a message to a lot of the up-and-coming -- not only sailors, but other -- athletes around the Island that they have to be prepared to put in some work, and the hard work will pay off in the long run.'' Asked if a sports specific lottery might be the answer to the problem of adequately funding Bermuda's athletes, the veteran crewman said that he was unsure if a lottery, as such, was the best answer, instead noting how Government needed to closely analyse the situation and see how and where they could find more money for sports.

However, he intimated it to be more important that the younger athletes holding potential be afforded funding for early exposure in order that the pool of world-class talent might be expanded down the line.

Pointing an admiring finger at Great Britain, White explained how, following a poor medal haul in Atlanta, a lottery system had been set up earmarking certain amounts to the various sports. The result this time was a much greater collection of trinkets, with the sailing team alone collecting three gold medals and a silver medal out of a total gathering of 11 gold, 10 silver and seven bronze.

"The British team this time around had unbelievable funding, so it definitely helps,'' said White. "Our Government has done very well. The operation for the whole team was first Turn to page 19 Lee's message Continued from page 17 class, with the chef de mission, Phillip Guishard, doing a great job of keeping everyone organised.

"Everything was available to us there and they (Government) have certainly been helpful not only the last four years, but the last eight. Whatever funding has been available they've made available to the various sports.

"Here in Bermuda we have a lot of up-and-coming athletes in many sports that need to get away to compete. There's a lot of those that are teenagers now out there that are eight to 10 years down the road in terms of Olympics, but need to get the exposure early and often.

"Government will have to look at these things, allocate and see what they can find in the budget.

"You need only look at guys like Clarance Saunders and Brian Wellman, these guys inspired a lot of young athletes and you need people coming along after them to continue that enthusiasm.'' As for Sydney, White said that he will remember it most for what sport and the spirit of the Olympics is really all about ... fun.

"I think everyone will remember it as a well-organised, fun Olympics.

"What made it that way was a number of reasons: the facilities were first class; they had an army of well-informed volunteers all over the venue who were so happy to be the hosts and to be able to help us in any way.

"I can honestly say that throughout the whole three weeks I never came across anyone who was not happy to be helping out or just to be there.

"It was really like a big social gathering ... certainly the best Olympics that I've been to.'' As for another campaign, White was noncommittal, especially with the Star Class in some doubt as to whether it will remain a part of the Games. One existing class is set to get the boot to make way for a women's match racing class.

Regardless, White has had his Olympic moments, and while not coloured gold, silver or bronze they have been wrapped by success.

Local television viewers will get the opportunity to see White and Bromby along with the four other Bermudian athletes and the world's elite in action tonight during a television special `The Best of Sydney 2000', being aired on Bermuda Broadcasting Company's ZBM TV-9 (cable three), starting at 8 p.m.

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