RCampbell Patton produced the best sailing of his young career on the way to a podium display at the Laser Radial Youth European Championships in Balaton, Hungary at the weekend.
The promising sailor earned the bronze medal after finishing third among the 154-strong fleet with five top ten showings — including a best finish of second — in the eight races contested in variable conditions on Lake Balaton.
“I surprised myself and it’s probably the best sailing event that I have had to date,” Patton told The Royal Gazette. “The conditions were pretty tough and we got a variation of wind strengths. It was also really tough competing against all the best guys in Europe.
“The start was probably the major component in having success in all of the races. Having good starts put you in a controlling position in the fleet and from there you can do well.”