YOUNG sailors Jack Cookson and Anthony Parke are set to do battle at the Youth National Championships in Wales which starts on Monday.

They are both competing in the Olympic Laser class and the rivalry between them will be fierce as both sail for the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA).

Cookson won the 2015 event in the Laser Radial class as well as the European Championships in the same class before making the transition to the Laser discipline.

After a successful campaign last year, the young sailor has started 2016 in similar fashion by winning the Laser Standard Qualifier in March.

Cookson is now looking for more silverware at the national event in Plas Heli and he is in confident mood.

He said: “I want to win the Youth Nationals, as I did last year. I feel that I’m capable of doing so and I’m looking forward to fighting for it on the water.

“I am confident in my ability to perform at the Youth Nationals and hope that my training and progress over the winter will pay off,” concluded Cookson.

His main rival, Parke, finished third in last year’s Laser event and he knows that his WPNSA teammate will be a strong contender.

“After having awesome qualifiers the last couple of weekends, Jack Cookson can’t be overlooked as a rival,” he explained.

“It’s going to be a very close with extremely tough competition, but I’ll sail as hard as I can and hopefully prevail.”

There will also be a Royal feel to the occasion with HRH The Princess Royal will be attending the regatta on Friday, April 8.