FOUR young Dorset sailors attended the International Topper Class Association 5.3 Winter Regatta, which was held last weekend.

The event took place at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy and attracted more than 150 competitors.

Among the fleet were Castle Cove Sailing Club members Alex McFarlane, Will Adler and Oliver Fellows, and Amber Poulloin from the Andrew Simpson Sailing Centre.

Brisk and cold north-westerly winds and a windchill of -5 degrees presented challenging conditions.

Two races were completed in strong winds on the Saturday, followed by a further three in glorious conditions on Sunday.

The highest-placed local youngster was McFarlane who achieved a fantastic eighth place in race two.

His result at this event puts him in a strong position in the National Series, with this competition being the second of the series so far.

McFarlane is also a member of the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) National Intermediate Junior Squad.

Adler finished in a respectable 70th place with his top result being 19th in race five.

Fellows, competing in his first major 5.3 fleet event, was not too far behind.

Both sailors are in the RYA South West Zone Squad and consistently improving their results.

This was also the first major event for Poulloin, who this season is hoping to compete in the club racing at Weymouth Sailing Club where she is a member.

These four young people represented the area well and are sure to shine at future events too.