The new heroines

Toby Heppell speaks to Athens gold medallist Sarah Ayton about life post-Shirley and progress with her new Yngling team

For most sailors fourth position in any class at a World Championship would be cause for celebration, fourth place at the World Championship in an Olympic class even more so. However, for top ranked British Yngling helm, Sarah Ayton, it represents a significant disappointment.

After winning gold medals in Athens with their former helm Shirley Robertson, Ayton and Sarah Webb along with (fairly) new recruit Victoria Rawlinson, have become a dominant force in Yngling sailing over the last two years. The team regular feature in the top three at events although outright victories have remained elusive. Something else the team have yet to do is finish on the podium at the Worlds, which makes this year’s fourth place all the more frustrating.

Ayton is particularly frustrated by their final position at the Worlds in La Rochelle as it was the result of a protest held against them in the final race. “We had an incident at the leeward mark in the final race. There was a raft of boats and we basically came in around the outside with lots of speed. The Finnish girl inside us thought we did not give her enough room,” explains Ayton. “We though that we gave her plenty of room but the problem is; there was not much wind and as most people know Ynglings don’t go very fast. When you have plenty of momentum on and you overtake a few people they might not like it so much.”

Unfortunately for Ayton when the protest was heard the jury sided with the Finnish team leaving her and her crew disqualified from the final race. Were it not for the protest and subsequent disqualification the Brits would have taken third place and their first ever podium finish at the World Championships (they finished a disappointing seventh last year.) Clearly Ayton is frustrated by this turn of events but is trying to look at the situation in a positive light. “Our goal was to get a top three position so it is clearly not the outcome we wanted. The good thing is, as ever, we are still learning and we were able to come away having learned something. It is better that it happens now and not at the Olympics. We know now not to give anybody any excuses to protest in the future which is a good lesson to have learned,” commented a bitter sounding Ayton

Aside from the unfortunate protest issue she seems happy with the progress the team is making. The Worlds were a largely light wind affair, a weather condition they have been trying hard to improve their speed in. This is particularly important due to the now well documented light conditions anticipated at 2008 Olympic sailing venue, Qingdao. This increase in speed in the light weather leaves the team highly impressive through a range of conditions. “As an all-round team I think we are really quite threatening to a lot of people. It is good to come away from the Worlds knowing that,” comments Ayton.

Although disappointing for Ayton it must be remembered fourth place at the World Championship this year represents a rather impressive achievement. During the past year both Ayton and her long term friend and sailing partner Sarah Webb have been racing with Victoria Rawlinson. It has been a difficult year for the team as Rawlinson has been finishing her degree in medicine which has taken up much of her time.

Rawlinson’s commitment to her studies have caused some difficulties over this period but aside from this Ayton is happy with how she has fitted into the team dynamic. “Vicks sort of got thrown in at the deep end really having just finished her degree and going straight into the boat for the Worlds. We have not really all sailed together this year but she did a really good job and rose to the challenge. We could not have asked any more from her and together I think we have got the strengths of a really good team,” she explains. Rawlinson has now finished her studies and after a shaky start to their Olympic cycle they can now fully focus on the future and the Olympic Games in 2008.

The next big event on the girls’ list, as with most Olympic sailors is the Olympic test event in Qingdao at the end of August. There are a variety of reasons the team are looking toward this event in particular. “After the Worlds we are looking forward to the test event partly because it will also be a light wind regatta, which will hopefully see us carry on improving in our light wind speed,” says Ayton.

Another reason is that this event will provide the opportunity to race in Qingdao, something the team have yet to do. “Qingdao is a really big goal for us. Not only do we want to perform there as with other events but it is the first time we will actually be racing out of the Olympic venue so it really is the start of the next phase of our programme. It will allow us to actually know what the conditions are and how we might need to adapt our equipment. Although it is not a very important regatta in terms of results it is a really important part of our programme. We are all really looking forward to getting out there and seeing if there is actually any wind under the fog. Hopefully there will be a bit but we will see. It is definitely an exciting time.”

Although the test event represents the first time the team will be racing in Qingdao it is not the first time they have sailed out there. Ayton went to Qingdao with the RYA in September of last year along with much of Skandia Team GBR. Interestingly because the purpose of the trip was simply to get a feel for the venue and understand the wind there a fleet of Lasers was taken out and everybody sailed one of these for the week. This left their Olympic boats free to travel to other events.

The team will also be spending some time out on the waters of Qingdao prior to the event when they go out for some training. “We will get a good ten days of sailing out there before the event starts and the RYA are always really organised so we will be well prepared. The RYA will get a team house and they will do everything they can to make it like home. In that respect we will be one of the most sorted teams, as always,” Ayton explains.

Ayton and team are currently by far the choice team for Britain in the Yngling but on the horizon looms another potentially quick team in the shape of Shirley Robertson, Annie Lush and Lucy MacGreggor. Ayton seems largely unfazed by the possibility of her old skipper with her new crew turning up and potentially taking the limelight. “We have got a very goal driven campaign and that is to win the Olympics in 2008. I think it is a really good thing that Shirley and her team are back in the boat. We need some competition in the UK,” she says. “It has been proved in all of the other classes if you have one or two that are quite capable of winning the World Championship it pushes you on to be better so we look at it really positively.”

Aside from preparing for big events such as the World Championships and the Olympic Test Event Ayton is taking some time away from the Yngling occasionally. She was out sailing on the VX 40 Basillica a few weeks ago which she said was amazing fun. She was also last week helping out with the Youth World Championship which she says was odd having competed at the event herself eight years ago. She will also compete at the inaugural 29erXX event following the 29er World Championship this week. "I am really looking forward to that, specifically trapezing on the helm," she enthuses. "I will have to go and get the harness down from the loft I have not worn one for a fair few years now. I think it will be awesome.”

Mostly all of these events are fitted around the Olympic Yngling campaign. “It is all just a little bit of fun really. It is typically hard to mix other sailing in when you have got such a big goal. Obviously the priority will be the Yngling sailing but it is always good to do some other stuff just to keep us on our toes really,” explains Ayton.

We look forward to seeing how Ayton and her crew perform at the Olympic test event, and particularly how well Rawlinson manages the pressure after the best part of a year away from the Olympic sailing team. As to how well the girls will get on versus their old skipper - we await a good scrap.

More photos on the following pages...