LIFE is just plain sailing for teenager Jak Cornthwaite.

The youngster has been selected to represent Great Britain at the World Laser Radial Youth Sailing Championships.

And that means a trip across the world to New Zealand in March to take on the best in his age group.

Jak, of Whooley Lane Farm, Baxenden, has been selected as one of three under 19 boys for the event at Takapuna.

The Laser Radial is the Olympic class single-handed sailing dinghy for youths.

As they get older, they progress through to the Laser full rig, which is the same boat with a slightly larger sail.

It is the dinghy class in which Ben Ainslie won his first Olympic gold medal.

Jak started sailing four years ago at the East Lancs Sailing Club at Rishton.

He is now a member of Elton Sailing Club at Bury, but much of his sailing is now at events or training all over the country.

He sails predominately on the south coast at. the National Sailing Academy at Weymouth, which is to be the sailing venue for the 2012 Olympics.

So there's no better place to prepare when the Olympics come to our country in five years time.

Jak's grandad, David Black, of Great Harwood, said: "The amount of effort and commitment Jak has put to get to this level has been incredible.

"He gets great support from his parents Marshall and Deborah."

Jak got his big break three years ago when he gained selection to the RYA West Zone Topper squad following his performance at the RYA Zone Championships Regatta at Ullswater.

Senior RYA coach Neil Marsden, a former World Topper champion,who is still competing at Olympic qualifying level, selected the best 18 Topper sailors in the area.

The squad were put through six weekends of intensive tuition, learning how to develop boat handling skills and racing ability at venues ranging from on sea at Pwllheli to Carsington in Derbyshire to Ullswater in the Lakes.

This was Jak's first experience of sailing, and he loved every second.

In 2005, Jak built up his skills by competing in regional events like the North West Junior Traveller Trophy Series and the North West Traveller Series, all held at different venues around the area, but working up to competing in the Nationwide Series held at venues all over the country and getting experience of starting in big events with anything up to 200 competitors.

He's never looked back.

He has competed in Lake Garda, and in August, Jak had took part in the the Radial World Youth Championships at Scheveningen in Holland.

His performances over the summer and autumn have gained him selection to the RYA GBR National Youth Squad (under 19) which consists of the top 12 male youths and the top six girls in the UK.

And that led to his GB call for New Zealand.

He will also be expected to compete in the Europa Cup event at Warnemunde in Germany in July, then return home before travelling to Douamenez in France for four days intensive training in July with the GBR team in preparation for European Championships which take place there.

It promised to be a year to remember.