BAXENDEN’S Jak Cornthwaite has been selected for the elite Great Britain Laser Standard Sailing Squad.
The 17-year-old is one of the top eight young sailors in the country who will make up the Royal Yachting Association’s GBR Youth squad.
It means he will have extra training including six high intensity weekends over the winter at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy - which is to be the venue for the sailing events at the 2012 Olympics.
Jak competed there recently in the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta which attracted more top sailors from other countries than in previous years keen to try the venue as part of their Olympic preparations.
In a week when wind speeds were better than expected but quite shifty, Nick Thompson - who won the Laser Standard National Championships in Abersoch in August - came through as winner in the Laser Standard Class.
Jak was fighting a viral infection which is not ideal when spending six to seven hours a day at sea and he was disappointed with his performance but he still managed to finish in a creditable 44th (24th GBR).
However, this was tempered with the good news at making the GBR squad.
