HELENSBURGH sailor Lorenzo Chiavarini secured a seventh place finish at the Laser and Laser Radial European Championships in Barcelona on Sunday.

The 23-year-old posted an impressive 1, 3 on the final day of racing to round off his regatta seventh overall and as sixth fastest European.

The result continues an impressive year for the former Lomond School pupil who won bronze at the Sailing World Cup in Miami in February and posted a top 10 finish at the World Championship in Croatia last month.

Eleven British sailors contested the six-day regatta across the men’s and women’s Olympic single-handed disciplines at the venue, which celebrated the 25th anniversary of hosting the 1992 Olympic sailing competition.

Nick Thompson led out a seven-strong British sailing team Laser contingent in Catalonia. The Rio Olympian and two-time world champion Thompson took the gold medal after coming agonising close in previous editions.

Chiavarini produced some fine times throughout a consistent week in the Barcelona waters. Posting two twice and a four left him well placed, but a 1, 3 finish saw him surge up the field.

He finished 20 points off a podium place as Italy's Francesco Marrai won silver and New Zealand's Andrew McKenzie claimed bronze.

Racing started on Tuesday and will conclude on Sunday.

Jack Wetherell and under-21 talents will also look to be counted in the 130-sailor fleet, which includes newly-crowned world champion Pavlos Kontides of Cyprus as well as Australian silver and bronze medallists Tom Burton and Matt Wearn, who are among the international entrants for the open European title.

In the women’s Laser Radial event, double Olympian Alison Young will look for improvements after a disappointing World Championship challenge on Dutch waters in August, while Georgina Povall will also hope to see continued progress since turning full time this summer.