Sebastian Kempe produced a brilliant display competing among a large and formidable fleet at the Radial Youth European Championships in Kastela, Croatia.

The promising sailor cope reasonably well in the breezy conditions to place eighth among the 88 sailors in the under-17 age group and 25th in an overall fleet of 224 sailors from 25 different countries that competed at the event held from June 26 to July 3.

Kempe posted three top-ten finishes with a best showing of third at the regatta in the five -race qualifying series to secure his place among the 73 sailors to advance to the Gold fleet.

He had a best showing of 22nd in the three-race final series that helped him to place in the top half of the Gold fleet standings after all was said and done on the water.

“I thought that my performance was the best that I could do given the breezy conditions,” Kempe told The Royal Gazette.

“Unfortunately, I can’t pick and choose the conditions and this event happened to have the race days fall on the heavy-air days.

“But I think that there are a lot of positives to be taken away and a lot of new areas where I can work on in the coming weeks.”

Italian Mattia Cesana won the Radial Youth European Championships with Spain’s Javier Segui finishing second and Israel’s Yoav Kfir rounding off the podium in third.

Meanwhile, Kempe reckons his experience in Croatia will bode him well for the upcoming Radial Youth World Championships in Lake Garda, Italy, from July 23 to 31.

“This event has shown me that more work still has to be done in preparation for the World Championships in Lake Garda, Italy at the end of July,” he added.

“However, it has shown me that my performance in the lighter conditions is strong enough to be competitive at a world level.”

Kempe has already enjoyed success in the one-design single-handed Laser Radial having captured both the under-21 and under-17 titles and finished second overall at the South Coast Anniversary Open Regatta in Dorset, England, in May.