Campbell Patton made a promising start in his bid to qualify for the Youth Sailing World Championships during the opening day of the Laser Youth Easter Meeting on Lake Garda, Italy, yesterday.

The son of multiple national Etchells champion Tim Patton finished fourth in the only race contested in the Laser Radial fleet before the wind died, forcing race officials to abandon the day’s proceedings.

“There was only one race, but I was happy with my result,” Patton said. “If I’m consistent with top-five finishes throughout the event I could be looking at a podium result. I’m hoping in the next few days there will be some heavier wind as that is when I perform best.”

The regatta is the Bermuda qualifier for the Youth Sailing World Championships to be held in Gdnya, Poland, in July.

Patton competed at last year’s Youth Sailing World Championships held in Corpus Christi, Texas, which he qualified for after finishing 39th in a fleet of 126 at the same regatta he is presently competing at.

He finished twelfth, his best showing to date, at last year’s Youth Sailing World Championships which was his second appearance at the regatta, having made his debut two years earlier in Auckland, New Zealand, where he finished 30th.

Meanwhile, also competing in northern Italy this week are Christian Ebbin and Magnus Ringsted in the Lake Garda Optimist Meeting regatta, which starts today.

The pair are fresh off of competing for Bermuda at the Optimist South American Championships in Algarrobo, Chile, last week.