Colchester schoolboy David de Boltz admits being blown away by his selection as Great Britain captain for the European Sailing Championships.
The 14-year-old will skipper the under-15 British team in the Optimist class at the competition in Sweden this August.
There will be 250 boats from 25 countries competing in his category and the Colchester Royal Grammar School youngster is eyeing a top-ten finish from his 16 races.
He said: "If the conditions are right and it's fairly windy, I have a good chance of getting into the top ten.
"You win prizes by finishing in the top 20 so hopefully I can achieve that."
At last year's European Championships in Portugal, de Boltz finished as the first Briton and 13th European.
In the previous year's competition, in Croatia, he was the second Briton and 18th European.
As captain of the eight-strong team at this summer's event on the Baltic Sea, the teenager will be helping team-mates with his advice and experience.
Published Thursday May 27, 2004
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