Britain seal double gold in sailing
Ayton and Webb defended the title they won four years ago
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Sunday, 17, Aug 2008 08:58
Britain have won two gold medals in the sailing in Qingdao after victory in the women's Yngling and men's Finn.
The trio of Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson won the Yngling class while Ben Ainslie won his third successive gold medal in the Finn.
Ainslie started the medals race 12 points ahead of America's Zach Railey but with double points on offer the Briton had to be careful.
Instead of covering the American Ainslie raced out to the head of the field and controlled things from there.
He had a 20 second lead at the halfway mark and cruised to victory to seal the gold medal.
Ainslie has now become Britain's most successful Olympic sailor with three golds and a bronze from four Games.
The British Yngling crew led the Dutch crew by a single point heading into the final race of the regatta and despite choppy waves and heavy rain claimed victory to seal the gold medal.
Britain were vying with Germany for the win in the final race but had realistically sealed the gold at the halfway mark of the race with the Dutch trailing down the field.
It is Ayton and Webb's second gold medal in the event after they won in Athens with Shirley Robertson four years ago.
Speaking after the race Webb said: "I'm lost for words, it is such a relief. Our experience was everything, we stayed sure and we got better."
Ayton said: "It's been brilliant, this campaign has been about pure perfection and we're just an awesome team."
Wilson added: "This has been the dream and it hasn't really sunk in."