Ryan Buchanan has been selected for England after lifting a national schools title at the sixth attempt.

Buchanan, 18, won the Laser Full Rig Class on Graffham Water in Cambridgeshire.

He said: "I'm absolutely elated. It was my last chance.

"I thought I'd blown it in the last race. My nearest rival was leading and I was way down the field. But I tried going on a different route to the others before cutting back in. I managed to overtake him and and was far enough ahead to win the title.

"It had been tense throughout the whole week. I couldn't eat and felt sick. The final day was the worst. I wanted to win so badly. I think my blood pressure was going off the scale."

Buchanan, a member of Chichester and Dell Quay Clubs, said victory was a matter of family pride.

He said: "My brother Jason had seven attempts trying to win the title. I even crewed for him one year. Once he thought he'd finished second and hadn't realised he'd been blackflagged for going over the line at the start of the deciding race. He was devastated.

"He was disappointed he never won the title but is delighted I've managed to do it."

Ryan, from Sidlesham, will represent England in the Nations Cup against other home countries in Wales next month.

He said: "It is such an honour. I've come close before to making the team so it makes it extra special I've finally made it. I'm determined to make the most of the opportunity."

A squad of ten will prepare in the Lake District prior to the event on the Menai Straits.

Ryan has trekked in the Slovenian Mountains, competed in the Ten Tors race on Dartmoor and become Sussex orienteering champion after a night on the South Downs in an active summer.

But his sailing success has been his best achievement.

He said: "To get through the trekking, running and orienteering was satisfying, but the feeling of being a national sailing champion tops them all."

Paul Campbell-James will defend his national youth match-racing title at Weymouth this weekend.

Campbell-James, 18, from Sidlesham, will helm Beneteau First Class Eight in a bid to reach the world championships.

He knows victory will secure him a place in the world event in New Zealand next February.

He hopes to go one better than last time in it.

He said: "We missed the world title by a half a metre and I believe we can improve on that next year.

"But first of all we've got to get there. I'm feeling quite confident about winning the national title again. I'll be sick if we don't."