OXFORDSHIRE windsurfer Tom Squires admits his next global contest can’t come soon enough after he made his senior ISAF World Championships debut in Australia.

Squires, from Kingston Bagpuize, travelled to Fremantle fresh from a ninth-place finish on his final appearance at the RS: X Youth World Championships in Italy back in October.

And, while the 18-year-old former Abingdon & Witney College pupil missed out on the top 46 and, therefore, the gold fleet after five races, he shone in the silver fleet to finish second and 48th overall out of 91 competitors.

Victory in the second race of the silver fleet was the highlight and, with a senior European Championships and another World Championships following in the next three months, Squires can’t wait to get back on the water.

“It went OK,” said Skandia Team GBR windsurfer Squires. “I missed out on getting into the gold fleet by a couple of points, but you can’t let it get you down.

“You have got to race as well as you can in the silver fleet and I had a first in the second race and a second in the first race which is good for my first senior worlds.

“Once we get into 2012, I will no longer be a junior, so I am just getting to grips with a bigger rig and next year it is full on and I am looking forward to the Europeans and worlds.

“It is good that there is a short turnaround because I have been progressing. I don’t have a long wait until the next one, it is just there and I will try and do as well as I can.”

Squires will take on Europe’s best in Portugal in February, before making the short trip to Spain for his second senior World Championships.

And he is adamant with the knowledge gained Down Under, he can pick up where he left off in Europe next year.

“The World Championships in Australia was mainly training, getting results was good, but it was mainly for training purposes,” he added.

“It was good to be up against all the top guys in Britain and the world and I just need more knowledge and more time to learn but I am really enjoying it.”

  • Investment specialist Skandia is the principal sponsor of the British sailing team. For more information go to www.skandiateamgbr.com.