Sebastian Kempe has made good headway despite enduring another roller-coaster day at the ILCA Under-21 European Championships in Spain.

After securing his spot in the Gold Fleet the previous day, the Bermudian sailor jumped 12 places, from 34th to 22nd, in the opening three races of the final series on Thursday.

Kempe made a brilliant start after finishing fourth in the first race of the day but lost momentum when finishing 28th and 34th in the next two races. However, results at this event are not the be all and end all for Kempe, 18, who has bigger regattas ahead, including the Last Chance Regatta in Hyères, France, next month, which offers the final opportunity of Olympics qualification.

“It was a long, long day again,” Kempe told The Royal Gazette.

“It was very, very variable breeze. This is not a peaking event for mea nd I’m just using every race as a way to practice my skills which will matter against the big boys.

“In terms of tangible results this is not an event that needs to go well, but in terms of the individual skills, such as starting percentage, I am currently at 100 per cent, so despite not performing on the results board I just need to remember that this is not the goal.

“I am planning to peak so that I can get the best shot at Olympic qualification. The ILCA Under- 21 European Championships is not a super big deal for me and is a good opportunity to practice specific skills.”

The championships has been plagued by light and shifty breezes, which has already resulted in delays, a general recall, postponements and cancellation of the final qualifying race that has frustrated competitors and organisers alike.

“This event has turned a bit upside down. The conditions are random and there are long days on the water,” Kempe said.

German Ole Schweckendiek tops the standings through the opening three races in the final series by 11 points over France’s Lorenzo Mayer and Italian Enrico Tanferna, who are tied for second.