Oxford windsurfer Tom Squires has set his sights on the 2016 Olympics in Rio after going toe-to-toe with world champion Nick Dempsey at the Skandia Sail for Gold regatta.

The 17-year-old Abingdon and Witney College student finished a creditable 14th in the silver fleet in Weymouth – the venue for both the Olympic and Paralympic sailing events at London 2012.

Olympic bronze medallist Dempsey showed his class ahead of this month’s world title defence by finishing on the bottom step of the podium. And after sharing the waves with Dempsey, Squires, who sails at Oxford Sailing Club, aims to follow in his footsteps.

“I am racing against the best in Britain in Nick Dempsey, who went to the Olympics and is the world champion,” said Squires.

“He is someone I really look up to so to see him up close and race against him as a senior has been amazing.

“He is so quick and he is at the level that I want him to be at eventually.

“I have definitely learnt a lot from just watching him out on the water up close and all the other top windsurfers that I have come up against.

“I know I still have a lot to learn, but doing the senior events will help and I want to make the step up so I am challenging in the senior events.

“I am definitely targeting a spot in the 2016 Olympics.

“I am sure 2012 will leave an impression on me. I have loved the experience of this regatta and this is like a mini-Olympics, I suppose, so I can’t wait for 2012 to roll along.”

Squires claimed the national junior title in 2008, before he finished eighth in this year’s youth championships.

But with the World Youth Championships still to come in Cyprus in October, Squires is desperate to end his junior career on a high note.

“I have the Youth World Championships coming up in Cyprus in October and that will probably be my last competition as a youth.

“So I want to try and finish with a medal.

“I want to make the final step up to senior competition with a lot of confidence and if I could get a medal out in Cyprus then that would be the best possible way.

“So I am really looking forward to getting out there and hopefully doing well enough for a medal.”