Jesse and Zander Kirkland’s hopes of qualifying for next year’s Olympic Games at the ongoing ISAF World Championships in Perth, Australia, were dashed yesterday.The local sailing siblings failed to advance to the Silver Fleet by a narrow margin after finishing 17th and 19th in the seventh and eighth races contested in light and shifty breezes.The Kirklands’ qualifying hopes were cruelly torpedoed in the eighth race which saw them slip from seventh to 19th after sailing into a hole on the final downwind run to leeward.“We finished 17-19 on Day Three and missed the Silver Fleet by a couple points ten points between eight teams,” Jesse said. “In the final downwind, we fell from seventh to 19th. That was like getting gutted!”A DNF (did not finish) in the third race of the 16-race regatta left the brothers with no margin for error.“This format of many races with only one discard is unforgiving so we must be more consistent,” Jesse added. “Avoiding one bad result would have us in 30th overall.”The local pair will be sailing for pride for the remainder of their stay Down Under and will have to revisit the drawing board to try and figure things out before May’s final Olympic qualifier in Croatia where they hope their fortunes will take a turn for the better.“We have figured out how to sail this boat with the top guys, we know we need to just refine our racing it,” Jesse said.At the half-way stage of the regatta the Kirklands remain 48th in the 49er fleet with their best showing to date arriving in the second race which saw them place 14th.British duo John Pink and Rick Peacock currently lead the fleet by four points over nearest rivals Stephane Christidis and Emmanuel Dyen of France. A further point adrift in third are Australians Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen.Overnight leaders Peter Kruger Andersen and Nicolai Thorsell slipped to 15th after capsizing in the seventh race.Yesterday’s biggest movers were French pair Yann Rocherieux and Mathieu Frei who climbed a staggering 53 places up the leader board from 67th to 14th.Officiating at the ongoing ISAF World Championships is Peter Shrubb, commodore of Royal Bermuda Yacht Club (RBYC).