Three teenagers have returned from a successful trip to Miami where they competed in the biggest winter sailing regatta in the Northern Hemisphere.

Montel Dayan-Jordan, Shabazz Patterson and Camilo Orobio are all 17-years-old and attend Greig City Academy, in Hornsey.

All three represented Great Britain Etchells in the Louis Piana Cup boat race in Biscayne Bay, Miami, on December 9 and 10.

The Sixth Form students were the second placed Great Britain Etchells team behind 1992 Summer Olympics soling class bronze medallist Lawrie Smith.

They finished 12th overall out of 45 competitors.

The Louis Piana Cup is one of four of the Bay of Biscayne Series, and Montel, Shabazz and Camilo have been invited to enter the remaining three regattas.

Americas Cup legend Freddie Carr of LandRover BAR visited the three students at Greig City Academy before they left for Miami to give advice.

He has urged them to take up the offer of competing in the Biscayne Bay Series in Etchells, in which he himself started his career.

Geography teacher and head of sixth form, Jon Holt, said: “The boys are pioneers in the sport but this is their chance to really progress into competitive racing.

“They will be in a class where they can take on an international team from the United States, and try to become the number one youth team.

“The difference between this tournament and the others they have done – including the Fastnet – is that in their class everyone is a decorated ex-Olympian or ex-world champion.

“Having seen the boys sail their rivals were very pleased with their presence and asked them if they would return.

“Sometimes changing the attitudes of these older sailors is hard, but they were all won over in the end.”