DIDCOT sailor Nick Redding battled it out with the world’s best at the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta and believes the experience will be a springboard to better things.

The 19-year-old – who sails with Max Richardson in the 49er class – was tenth in the silver fleet in Weymouth.

The pair were ranked 35th overall on the Dorset coast just over a month after returning from the 49er European Championships in Poland where they were 59th.

Redding had targeted a top-40 finish in Weymouth and to sail at next year’s ISAF Sailing World Championships in Perth.

“That is our main aim for the year, we want to try and make it into the top-20 for that,” said Redding.

“It was really good to be racing at the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta and the Olympic venue with a world class fleet.

“Being a part of the event and racing against the quality of opposition was excellent and a big learning curve.

“We’ve matched our aims for the competition and from now on it’s about looking to improve as much as we possibly can as a team.”

Redding and Richardson first began sailing in the 49er class together just over year ago and travel to and from Weymouth to train.

The former St Birinus School pupil added: “It’s a year since we started and Sail for Gold last year was our first together so it was nice to come back and see how we compare to then,” he added.

“The 2016 Olympics is the long term goal.

“Coming down to Weymouth for week long stretches in the build up to events which is really good in terms of us developing as a team.”