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With one goal in mind for 2008 – Olympic gold, the talented British team of Sarah AYTON, Sarah WEBB and Pippa WILSON spent the lead-up to the Games proving to the world they were the number one Yngling crew by claiming a clean sweep of the highest graded events of the year. Heading to Miami for the Yngling Women’s World Championship in February 2008, AYTON, WEBB and WILSON were keen to start the Olympic year with a gold medal and they did just that, convincingly defending the World title they picked up in 2007 with a massive 39 points margin over the second place Australian team.
A return to Europe saw the team competing in Palma, Spain at the HRH Princess Sofia Trophy MAPFRE where they picked up a silver medal before travelling to Blanes, Spain for the Europeans, where once again they ended the regatta at the top of the podium. There were bronze medals at the next two ISAF Grade 1 events in Hyères and Medemblik before the team settled into Qingdao for the big one, the 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition.
It was in wet, blustery conditions that the first ever Medal Race of an Olympic Games took place and the British Yngling team led by one point from their closest rivals from the Netherlands. In an extremely close race AYTON, WEBB and WILSON demonstrated once again their cool, calm style and supreme ability to make it count when it really matters. They controlled the race from start to finish and in securing the race victory they entered the record books as the first crew to win an Olympic Medal Race and with that, the first gold medal of the Competition. The ultimate dream was a reality; Sarah AYTON, Sarah WEBB and Pippa WILSON were the 2008 European, World and Olympic Champions.
1 - RYA Winter Challenge Match Racing, GBR - ISAF Grade 4 - Nov 2007
5 - Rolex Miami OCR, Miami, USA - ISAF Grade 1 - Jan 2008
1 - Yngling Women World Championship, Miami, USA - ISAF Grade W - Feb 2008
2 - HRH Princess Sofia Trophy MAPFRE, Palma, ESP - ISAF Grade 2 - Mar 2008
1 - Yngling Women European Championship, Blanes, ESP - ISAF Grade C1 - Apr 2008
3 - Semaine Olympique Française, Hyères, FRA - ISAF Grade 1 - Apr 2008
3 - Delta Lloyd Regatta, Medemblik, NED - ISAF Grade 1 - May 2008
1 - 2008 Olympic Sailing Competition, Qingdao, CHN - ISAF Grade W - Aug 2008
ISAF World Sailing Rankings position at the end of the nomination period (3 September 2008) – # 1
ISAF World Sailing Rankings # 1 from 3 October 2007 to 6 February 2008 and 9 April to 3 September 2008
| Name |
Sarah AYTON (helm) |
Sarah WEBB (crew) |
Pippa WILSON (crew) |
| Place and Date of Birth |
UK, 9 April 1980 |
London, UK - 13 January 1977 |
Southampton, UK - 7 February 1986 |
| Profession |
Sailor |
Sailor |
Sailor |
| ISAF Sailor ID |
GBRSA16 |
GBRSW18 |
GBRPW25 |
| What inspired you to take up sailing? |
I don't come from a sailing background but my parants were keen for my brother and I to have a hobby. After trying lots of different sports and activities we found sailing and never looked back. |
It was a hobby I started as a child and I was inspired to go Olympic Sailing when I watched the Games aged 14 |
My parents |
| What was the first boat you sailed and how old were you? |
Oppie at the age of 6. |
An Optimist aged 6 |
Oppie, aged 8 |
| Name your first sailing club |
Queen Mary SC |
Queen Mary SC |
Salterns Sailing Club, Lymington |
| What was the first event you competed in and in what year? |
The Mary Ellan trophey, which is a race around Queen Mary. |
Optimist Nationals, Bathenthwaite 1987 |
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| What are your personal highlights of your career to date? |
Winning Gold in Athens has been biggest highlight so far, having one Gold definitley plants the seed to go and get another!! Since Helming the Yngling different challenges have come along. Since teaming up with team mate Pippa last year our campaign has gone from strength to strength and whilst we get results we have planty of fun along the way making winning the ISAF worlds a particully sweet victory. Of course China this year was an important win for us and has given us the motivation we need to ensure we're back in the same spot next year! |
Olympic Gold Medal 2004 |
29er ISAF Youth Worlds Gold Medal - 2002
420 Youth Worlds Bronze Medal - 2004
470 World Ranking 5th - 2005
Yngling Womens Worlds Gold Medal - 2007 & 2008
Yngling Womens Europeans Gold Medal - 2008
Yngling Olympic Gold Medal - 2008
|
| What are your future sailing goals? |
I'd like to continue Olympic sailing and win another couple of medals before I discover what big boat sailing is about. |
A second Olympic Gold Medal |
Olympic Gold Medal in a different class |
| Who has had the greatest impact on your sailing career and why? |
One of the great things about Olympic sailing is that it is very challenging and daily we're faced with new problems or questions that need to be resolved or answered so we can learn and move forward. Having a strong support team around us is vital to developing our campaign along with our coach who allows us to grow as individuals and as a team meaning we can perform to our potenial. |
Our coach Paul BROTHERTON - he was my first coach when I became an Olympic Sailor in a 470, and has now coached our Yngling Team for the last year. |
Malav SHROFF inspired and believed in me when I first started helming internationally in my cadet. Paul BROTHERTON noticed me when I was 16 and helped me progress through the classes and into Olympic sailing. He gave me the opportunity to go sailing when I was injured, kept my love of sailing alive and has been a fundamental part of my sailing career ever since. My parents introduced and encouraged me into sailing and have always quietly supported my every need. They did the hours in the freezing cold and pouring rain and helped me work out my route through life and into sailing. |
| Who is your sailing hero? |
Russell COUTTS |
When I was a kid - Lawrie SMITH |
Ben AINSLIE for his phenomenal achievements |
| What other sports do you enjoy? |
Windsurfing, cycling and running. |
Cruising, Cycling, Golf |
Windsurfing, running, cycling, most sports if i have the time |
| What does being nominated for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards mean to you? |
It has been a honor to have nominated for ISAF sailor of the Year. If we win this award it would really complete our year as a team. |
It would be honour to have our commitment to Olympic Yngling Sailing recognised on a World stage |
To be nominated a second time in a row for the Award is an honour and a privelege and for me signifies and encapsulates an exceptional time in my life. |
| If you were voted as the winner, what would this mean to you? |
There were three things on my list when growing up, the first two are ticked off so I'm keeping my fingures crossed for the third! |
To join the list of distingushed yachtsmen and women who have won this award in the past would be fantastic |
With my teammates and coach, our only goal was Gold in the Olympics and in this quest we have achieved so much and had such an amazing journey together too. To win World Sailor of the Year would be the most brilliant prize and a wonderful opportunity to really celebrate our successes and hopefully inspire others to achieve their goals and potential.
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