Tenby kitesurfer Gareth 'Mogsy' Morgan has recently been selected to compete in the British Olympic ranking trials this autumn at the British Olympic Sailing Academy, Weymouth.

The Olympic ranking trials is invite only and is the beginning of the process to select the kitesurfer to represent Britain in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The Olympic ranking process will feature all the Olympic classes for Rio 2016, where kitesurfing has now replaced windurfing for the next Olympics.

Kitesurf racing will be fastest of all of the Olympic classes and hits speeds over twice the speed of the wind. Gareth will be using up to 17m square metre kites and boards with three large 42cm carbon fins to propel him around the Olympic race course, both upwind and downwind, at over 30 knots-plus and accelerations of up to 4g.

Gareth is a British skiff racing sailing champion, also a kitesurfing wave master champion, and is hoping to utilise all these skills in the newest of all sailing classes.

Gareth is currently fourth in the UK British Kitesurfing Association race series held at various sailing locations throughout the UK.

He said he is delighted to get this invite and sail in the presence of all the country's best British sailors in Weymouth.

He has been working and training hard on his racing skills and tactics over the last few years. He is particularly pleased as he is an amateur rider competing at the same level as professional riders.

Gareth has a busy job as a mechanical engineer at Murco Milford Haven oil refinery. He receives riding sponsorship from Mike and Jan Prout at Surfcentre, Penally, and is a member of Surflink surf club, South Beach, Tenby. He is hoping to gain more sponsors after his performances in the Olympic ranking trials this autumn. Any local businesses looking to support Gareth and gain logo advertising on the kite and boards he rides on local Pembrokeshire beaches and at various UK sailing establishments, can contact him via this newspaper.

The Olympic classes ranking process will be held at the recent Olympic sailing venue in Weymouth this weekend, September 22 and 23, and on October 13 and 14.