CHANNEL Islands surfers are lying in eighth position, out of 14, at the European Championships being held in Costa Caprica, Portugal.

The CI team are ahead of Ireland, Israel and Switzerland and they are quietly confident of improving on their current position.

CI team manger Kevin Warr said: ‘The team are surfing particularly well.

Conditions are not perfect and can almost be compared to St Ouen’s Bay, but this may eventually work in our favour.

‘We need everyone in the Open section to really put in a big effort today and hopefully that will help us improve our ranking.’ Semi-final spots are guaranteed for Clayton Lidster, in the senior men’s event, and Jonny Carden, in the masters.

Ben Skinner had an interference call in his longboard quarter-final heat, which means he has to win his repêchage heat to move back into the main competition and gain a semi-final place.

Open section surfers Christian Boletta, Scott Eastwood, Sam George, Ben Chapman and Guernsey’s Jonny Wallbridge and Matt Le Maitre are through to the third round.

Lucy McAteer failed to progress from her quarter-final repêchage heat even after impressive performances in earlier heats.

The Open, body board and longboard sections continue today.

Conditions in Portugal are stormy with a near three-foot swell running with a cross shore wind as a large Atlantic weather system moves north.