My coast: Ben Ainslie

Ben Ainslie, who grew up in Cornwall, is living proof that you can be a triple Olympic gold and silver medallist and still scupper your boat. By Kate Langrish.

'My favourite beach is Restronguet in Cornwall, which is where I grew up and learnt to sail. We lived in a small cottage on the edge of a creek on the Fal Estuary. We had to drive over the beach to get to the track that led to the house.

 

'My dad skippered a boat in the first Whitbread Round the World Race in 1973. Other than that, he just sailed for fun, which we did as a family from as early as I can remember.

 

'When I was about seven, we went sailing on our family cruising boat but wrecked it on the rocks of the Helford River. We had to abandon ship and after the lifeguards dragged the boat off the rocks, we watched it sink. I was too young to realise the precariousness of the situation, but I did know that the boat was Dad's pride and joy, so it was very sad.

 

'When you're out on the water, there's a great sense of escapism from normal life on the shore. There's a feeling of freedom that comes with the sensation of sailing through the water, hearing the wind through the rigging and the waves slapping on the hull of the boat - you just can't beat it.

 

'I think the success of the British Olympic sailing teams and the likes of Ellen MacArthur has encouraged more young people to get involved. But there is still this misconception that it's elitist - in reality, you can go to your local sailing club and crew for someone and it won't cost much, if anything. Or you can get a second-hand dinghy for around £200 - as much as a set of golf clubs.

 

'I've sailed all over the world and I think the UK coastline - especially in the West Country - is as beautiful as anywhere. Obviously, the weather isn't always as good, but it's hard to beat beautiful harbours like Fowey, Dartmouth and Salcombe.

 

'Having said that, Sydney Harbour is one of my favourite sailing spots. I won my first Olympic gold medal there in 2000, so it holds special memories. Often on a Saturday afternoon the harbour is packed with thousands of boats; it's an amazing spectacle.

 

'I've got the America's Cup coming up, which is very different from Olympic sailing. You have a much bigger boat, around 90 foot, with a crew of 25 on board. We work really hard at developing the boat with designers. It's like the Formula 1 of sailing.

 

'Big competitions can put a place on the sailing map, so I hope that will happen to Weymouth with the build-up to the 2012 Olympic Games. There's a lot of investment going into it, with shoreside development and a new marina - it will be great.'

 

In June, Ben Ainslie sailed in the JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race. He is an ambassador for Corum Watches.

 

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