He has competed in four Olympics, won the International One Design World Championships six times and also won the bronze medal in the Snipe class at the 1967 Pan-Am Games.

He is also currently leading the IOD class at the midway point of International Race Week.

Eugene (Penny) Simmons is one of Bermuda's elder statesmen in the sport of sailing. And looking at the future of sailing in Bermuda, he likes what he sees.

"We have some very good talent coming up," said Simmons yesterday during the rest day of Race Week. "I admire these youngsters – they are putting the time in.

"Everything looks promising – if they stick with it. We have a very good coaching system in place and these youngsters are keen. You see them out in all sorts of weather – weather where even the big boats are not going out. But there they are. We have a lot of talent.

"I don't know all of them by name but I do follow what they are doing especially when they go overseas to compete. They always seem to do extremely well in foreign waters which can be a bit of a handicap. Every time we go to these foreign regattas we seem to do well and whether we win or not we always seem to be in the mix.

"Hopefully these youngsters will stick with it. Of course, there is the big problem when girls and boys get to a certain age and start to recognise each other – they want to do something else."

Simmons, like many in the sailing community, would like to see sailing designated a national sport by Government.

"I think it should be and I am surprised that it has not already been named as a national sport. The history is there. The sport also takes money – more and more so today. Everything is more expensive and to prepare for something like the Olympics you have to go abroad a lot to compete.

"You have to be in there with the best of the competition to improve yourself. You have to watch and see what's going on – see the different techniques and also get used to sailing in a large class. Here in Bermuda we are handicapped a bit because you will only find six or eight people in a particular fleet."

Another reason Simmons believes that sailing should be designated a national sport is the integration of the races.

"One of the great things about sailing is that it brings the races together. I can't think of a better thing to be doing at a young age than sailing and hopefully that continues. Time will tell."

One rising star Simmons has taken note of is Rockel Evans who is currently second in the Laser class behind veteran Malcolm Smith in International Race Week. Of Evans, who is the grandson of Howard Lee – another one of Bermuda's elder statesmen of sailing – Simmons said: "He is very keen and doing extremely well. I suppose he takes after Howard who always did very well. Howard was in the Comets and then got into the Finn class and that is a very difficult boat to sail and you have to be very fit.

"Like every class you have to spend a lot of time in the boat – go out every day and just learn."

Simmons has won numerous regattas and championships over his long career and competed in the Olympics in 1964 (Tokyo), 1968 (Mexico), 1972 (Munich) and 1976 (Montreal).

He won the IOD World Championships in 1985, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2002 and 2005 and was the runner-up nine times.

"I started sailing (skippering) in Race Week in 1979 – before that I crewed with the likes of Bert Darrell. Then in '79 I got my boat Ariel (which is moored outside his home)."

In his first Olympics in 1964 he was crew to Kirk Cooper in the Dragon class. "For the 1968 Olympics we bought a new boat – things at that time were changing. They were using more flexible masts and we were caught behind the eight ball a bit then. We didn't do that well."

For the 1972 Olympics, Simmons had his own Dragon and then for the 1976 Olympics he sailed in the 470 class.

In 1967 at the Pan-Am Games in Winnipeg, Canada he won the bronze medal in the Snipe class. Those Games were also special for him as a Bermudian because the Island's football team won the silver medal.

"What a great team they were. They had a great coach (Graeme Adams) – they were well disciplined and worked very hard."

It was in the Snipe class where his sailing career started. "It was a very popular class back then – I started in 1954 and in 1956 won the Western Hemisphere Championships – I was about 17 years old then. I had a fair amount of success in the Snipes – it was a fun little boat but unfortunately the class here has died. Back then we had about 25 boats from the various clubs."

Often he would just take the Snipe out by himself to practice. "You have to put your time in," he emphasised again.

Simmons has seen a number of classes go by the wayside over the years, and new ones come in.

"People seem to like speed these days," he said, noting his admiration for what the Kirkland brothers are doing in the 49er class which is the Grand Prix of Olympic classes.

"That is quite a boat – just to get around the course is quite an achievement. You have to put in a lot of time to get the feel for them," he said.

And Simmons knows about putting the time in – he has for over 50 years.