Optimist dinghy sailor Sophie Wequelin, aged 14 from Lymington, is a favourite to shine at this weekend's Volvo Musto Optimist Inland Championships at Grafham Water SC.

The Royal Lymington sailing Club member, who is a student at Talbot Heath School in Bournemouth, first learnt to sail at Salterns Sailing Club.

She has recently been selected to represent Great Britain at the Optimist European Championships in Croatia in July.

Clubmate Robert Claridge, 14, is also competing in the event this weekend.

Robert, who first started sailing in an Optimist seven years ago, has also been chosen to represent GB in the Optimist World Championships in July.

Up to 300 young Optimist sailors will be competing at the Volvo Musto Optimist Inland Championships, the event that marks the start of the national circuit that includes the Volvo Musto Nationals and End of Season Championships.

The young sailors will be split into Senior, Junior and Regatta fleets, with six races planned for the sailors.

Sophie will be competing against reigning Optimist Volvo Musto National Champion Hannah Mills, 15, from Dinas Powys.

And Robert faces fellow Volvo Musto Optimist World Team mates James Murdock, 15, from Gloucestershire and Richard Mason, 15, from Lymington, to vie for top honours.

The Volvo Musto Inland Championships is a mandatory event for those wishing to be selected for the 2004 National Optimist Squad.

The two other mandatory events are the Volvo Musto National and End of Season Championships.