It’s plain sailing for Baxenden teenager

2:23pm Wednesday 2nd July 2008

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BAXENDEN’S Jak Cornthwaite is hoping to make waves in the sailing world - just like his Sydney and Athens hero Ben Ainslie.

And Ainslie, who is expected to lead the gold medal charge again at the Beijing Olympics, has tipped the 17-year-old to make it to the very top.

Cornthwaite only took up the sport four years ago and has just returned from the JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race.

The St Mary’s College pupil, together with 10 other RYA future Olympic hopefuls, finished the lumpy Solent course in a time of seven hours 25 minutes and 30 seconds.

He said: “It was a really good experience on the Isle of Wight – it was quite nerve-racking at times when it looked like we were going to tip over. “I have had a really good year so far with the World Youth’s and I know I can improve next year.

“Ben Ainslie is probably the best sailor in the world and a real role model for me. When someone of his stature talks, you really try and listen and my real ambition is to get into the Olympic develop-ment squad.”

Cornthwaite, who sails at Elton Sailing Club in Bury, finished 19th at the World Laser Radial Youth Championships in New Zealand in March.

He is currently a member of the Royal Yachting Association’s (RYA) elite youth squad.

And Ainslie belie-ves there is no better place for the teenager to learn his trade.

He said: “The generation like Iain Percy, Nick Rogers, Sarah Ayton and myself all came through the RYA together, although in my day, it was on a lot smaller scale.

“It has been fantastic to have been a part of that. In the future, we have got the talent coming through again – we just need the right level and amount of support for them to go out there and achieve their dreams.

“My message to Jak would be put the right amount of effort in and realise you are the only person who can go out there and win it – you can’t rely on anyone else.”