Freddie sails into GB squad

The Bexhill Sailing Club member, 13, will enjoy the perfect opportunity to hone his ability by attending six intensive training weekends plus a further week-long camp over the winter months.

"It should be a fantastic experience," said father, David. "We were hoping he would get in the national squad (at the start of the season), but we knew it would be a tall order because it's so, so competitive. He's done very well this season, though, and it's really been a meteoric rise (he only took up the sport two-and-a-half years ago). The rate of his progress has surprised me and it just seems to be very much a natural thing."

Freddie, who attends St Bede's School (Dicker), finished sixth in the overall rankings after the five qualifying events, comfortably securing a place among the 18 boys and nine girls that make up the under-16s squad.

He had actually done enough to seal his spot after four of the five qualifying events, but underlined his selection by coming second of the under-14s (and 14th among the 225 competitors of all ages) after the five races that made up the final event at Carsington Water. He actually achieved his first major race win in that meeting as well.

These results pitched him as the highest finisher among sailors not involved in the national squad last year and he was the highest of the South East regional squad members.

Freddie attributes his success to Stephanie Sprigings and Debbie Redman, who enthusiastically run the cadet classes at Bexhill Sailing Club, plus Rob Harrison, who took Freddie with his son Peter to most of his formative events.

Next year, Freddie will be gunning for glory in the National and World Championships and, beyond that, his long-term goal revolves around the 2012 Olympic Games.