“We are benefiting from some of the outreach efforts such as Waterwise, Bermuda Sloop Foundation, the bursary programmes at the sailing clubs and all of those things are raising awareness and bringing people in the sport that otherwise wouldn't be.”Patton, who represented Bermuda at this year's Etchells World Championships Down Under, described the Kirkland siblings as perfect role models for those coming behind them.“This achievement definitely inspires others and Jesse and Zander don't come from a wealthy family and are the product of the Bermuda Optimist Dinghy Association (BODA) programme,” he said. “Jesse was second in the International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA) World Championships so clearly he has huge talent and it's just exciting for the whole sailing community and Bermuda at large to have that sort of talent and know there's more of it down the road.”Patton said the Kirklands' latest success stems from years of dedication and sacrifices in pursuit of their dream to qualify for the 2012 Olympics.“I doubt that anybody can really appreciate what they have done because for two years these guys have been sleeping in a tent or their car and just sort of doing their best to do everything on the lowest possible budget,” he added. “And what they have accomplished doing it that way is quite, quite remarkable and having said that I think there's probably some benefit in having to struggle a bit. I think that probably teaches perseverance and if things are harder then the gains are more rewarding.”Patton believes the Kirkland brothers, who are due to return from Europe later this week, can now be considered as serious contenders on the world stage.“I think it's clear now to everybody that they are one of the very fastest boats in the world in lighter conditions and I'm sure they're going to be working on the medium and heavier stuff in the lead-up to the Olympics,” he said.Patton said his association are now exploring ways to assist the Kirklands financially in their preparations for the Olympics which will see sailing held in Weymouth on England's south coast.He added: “They are not at the end of the road yet and everything they do is very expensive so we (BSA) are exploring lots of avenues to try and find them some more funding.“Gladly, they needed this success (Olympic qualification) to be able to go and ask for help to the Bermuda Olympic Association and ISAF because obviously they don't want to support no hopers.“But clearly these chaps aren't no hopers so we are exploring every avenue we can to get help. Hopefully the local community will also see fit to supplement the little bits they have in order to make the rest of their road easier so they can just focus on training.”