DORCHESTER’S Jack Cookson begins his quest for another major medal today when Laser Radial racing gets underway at the EUROSAF European Youth Sailing Championships.

Cookson won bronze at the Radial Youth European Championships in Viana de Castelo, Portugal last Saturday and is now poised to lead a quartet of British Laser Radial sailors this week in Brest, France.

The county town teenager has enjoyed plenty of success over the past year, including winning the coveted UK Laser Radial Youth Championships in Plymouth.

EUROSAF 420 gold medallist Daniel Whiteley, Grafham Water sailor Karyna Manuel, who led the Laser Radial RYA Youth Nationals from start to finish in Weymouth, and Beaver Sailing Club’s Ellie Brown will join Castle Cove’s Cookson in the class.

Twenty-four members of the British Youth Sailing Team are in France for the EUROSAFs, which feature SL16 racing for the first time.

Each class has two British representatives, selected off the back of their performances at the 2015 RYA Youth National Championships in April.

Other Dorset sailors taking part include Ollie Aldridge and Nathaniel Gordon from Parkstone Yacht Club.

They represent Britain in the boys’ 29er fleet for the first time alongside team-mates Daniel Venables and Patrick Keech from Sutton.

Two more Parkstone members, Jack Butters and crew Sam James, go for Britain in the SL16 class.

RYA pathway manager and team leader in Brest, Roy McCubbin, said: “Our selection at the RYA Youth Nationals earlier this year was extremely tough and so our standard of sailors in the team is high this year.

“We also have the addition of the SL16 class at the EUROSAFs and I’m looking forward to see how they get on supported by Paul Wakelin.

“For the first time we are taking a larger support team. Tim Jones will play an active role and focus on the sport science of the event.

“This learning will then be brought back and introduced into land days for the rest of the programme.

“Also on board we have experienced and professional coaches supporting the sailors on the water.”

Racing starts today and continues each day until a double points medal race on Sunday.

For further information, visit the EUROSAF website.