A BRITISH team made up of Castle Cove Sailing Club member Sam Barker and Simon Northrop took top honours at the Texel Dutch Open.

As well as a class competition for Barker and Northrop to go for, there was also an open event that the pair took part in.

They were sailing a Formula 18 dinghy in a fleet of more than 25 other dinghies of the same class.

There were other classes of boats also competing in the open which made the total number of vessels involved in excess of 45.

The Formula 18 event was a great success, with the pair achieving top-five places in all seven of the races.

Overall, Barker and Northrop were not only the best Formula 18 dinghy duo but they followed that achievement by winning the Texel Dutch Open.

Barker said: “It was an awesome week in Texel with some perfect sailing conditions.

“On Thursday and Friday it was the Dutch Open in light and shifty conditions, and we won overall.”

The Weymouth sailor is no stranger to winning events and once again has demonstrated his versatility and considerable skill by competing successfully on a wide range of boats.