WYE brother and sister Ben and Sophie Ainsworth have both emerged from national trials to be selected for the British team to sail in the Open European championships in Zadar, Croatia, in July.

Both sail in 420 class boats with 17-year-old Ben partnered by Ollie Gray from Essex and Sophie, 14, with Guildford’s Lucy Cripps.

Ben, an A-level pupil at the Simon Langton school in Canterbury, is an experienced international sailor who recently went to Australia for the world 420s championships and who sailed the Europeans two years ago in Belgium. This will be his first Open European competition.

Both pairings had to emerge in the top seven in the the national trials over two weekends in Scotland and Plymouth with Ben fifth and third and also third in the Under-18s.

Sophie, a student at Highworth School in Ashford, has been a regular partner with friend Lucy Cripps for the past two years. Sophie will be the youngest member of the British team and says she is thrilled to qualify for her first European championships.