Carney in action at this year's RS:X Championships Picture: onEdition

Hythe windsurfer Elliot Carney knows he will have to upstage world champion Nick Dempsey to make it to London 2012 – but insists he wouldn’t have it any other way.

The 20-year-old joined Dempsey at this year’s RS:X World Championships on home shores in Weymouth – the venue for the 2012 Olympics – but while Dempsey was topping the podium, Carney finished 42nd.

However, the former Brockhill Park School pupil did improve 30 places from his finish at last year’s championships in New Zealand.

The sailor had one final chance to go head-to-head with Dempsey at the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta, also in Weymouth, only for the 29-year-old to miss out with a hamstring injury.

And despite only one British boat being selected for the Olympics, Carney – who finished 20th on the Dorset waters – has vowed not to let Dempsey’s presence put him off his bid.

“My dream is to win a gold medal at the Olympics but if Nick carries on performing it will be hard to get to London 2012,” said Carney.

“But it’s great for us to keep learning from him and the aim is to beat Nick – I can beat him, I can beat anyone.”

Carney was joined at the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta by Ashford’s Sophie Ainsworth, who finished 14th in the 470 class alongside Sophie Weguelin.

“We have been together since we were both 17 and we made the jump up from the junior competition to the full 470 class two years ago,” said 20-year-old Ainsworth.

“We have gained a lot of experience, especially at the Sail for Gold Regatta alongside the other Brits, and now it is about transferring skills we learn in training into racing.”