World, Pre-Olympic and European Champions

Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson look set to take a medal at the Olympics this summer

Since forming back in October 2006 one Yngling team has been on the podium at every ISAF Grade 1 event they have attended bar one. They are reigning World Champions – having won back to back victories in 2007 and earlier this year – European Champions and Olympic Test Event Champions. We are, of course, talking about Britain’s Olympic Yngling representatives, Sarah Ayton, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson.

Despite the above record and their victory at both the World and Pre-Olympic Championships last year, 2008 has seen the trio arguably look even more dominant, winning the World Championships with one day to spare. However, the Yngling fleet is also clearly getting stronger with ‘Team Mirabaud’ scoring their worst ever result at the Miami OCR (5th place) and with six different teams in contention to win the European Championships going into the Medal Race.

Freshly returned from Spain and the European Championships last week, Sarah Ayton says she, Webb and Wilson are happy with their victories so far this season, but have their sights firmly set on a bigger prize. “It is all good and we are on track, but we still have a lot of work to do to make sure that we are where we want to be in China,” she explains to TheDailySail, sounding relaxed and happy. “The goal is China. That is all that matters and that is all that has ever mattered, winning there. So we need to make sure that we keep working hard and doing the things we are doing that get us those podium positions.”



The level of Ayton, Webb and Wilson’s dominance is phenomenally impressive and Ayton puts their success down to two key areas. “The biggest thing is we are fast throughout the range of conditions, which no-one else in the fleet is. Obviously we are also very lucky in that the four of us [Ayton always includes herself, her two crew and their coach, Paul Brotherton in her concept of a team] are a really strong unit. Having Paul [Brotherton] is great, he has such experience. From outside the boat he can look in at what we are doing, look at how the rig is setting and work out a tuning guide to get us through the conditions.” She adds that it is this team approach and strength which allows them to remain quick in all conditions.

With the Olympic Games now fast approaching – 120 days away now – the level of success the team has achieved must help build confidence. We can’t help but wonder, though, whether winning so many big events only serves to increase pressure on the team as they struggle to manage expectations. “I think as a team we apply pressure on ourselves everyday. At the level that we are at now, realistically we are making one mistake a race, but we give ourselves a hard time about those mistakes. We try, every time that we sail, to apply that same amount of pressure. We would not be happy anywhere other than the top of the podium,” is Ayton’s textbook answer.

In spite of this, however, Ayton does admit that it can be particularly tough being at the front of the fleet. “For sure the fleet are going to try and beat us. We have won everything so people are definitely nipping at our heels and trying to match us.” However, she adds that as a team they are strong and focussed and all seem to have an addiction to winning that serves them well in remaining at the front of the fleet. “If we are going the right way as fast as we can, then we are giving ourselves the best opportunity to strike when there are chances in the frame which is the aim no matter what,” she concludes.



So with the Olympics now just a few months away, just what are her team focussing on? As the whole sailing world now knows, the Olympics this summer are going to be an extremely light wind affair. Many Olympic sailors are undergoing weight loss programmes at the moment to varyingly drastic degrees. Of course with the Yngling being a rather heavy keelboat the weight of a team has a significantly smaller effect on light wind sailing. “The Yngling is a funny old boat. We are almost a tonne all up - the boat is 645kg and our weight limit is 205kg - so for us it is such a small percentage gain by being light. We are really trying to focus more on being mentally strong, having the concentration levels to get you through long races in no wind and a lot of tide. Luckily enough we are not sailing the RS:X or the 470 where it is going to pay to be light,” she says, possibly providing an insight into fiancé and RS:X Olympic representative, Nick Dempsey.

Just because Ayton Webb and Wilson do not need to lose weight to compete in China does not mean the Yngling is without its own light wind foibles. “It is a hard boat to sail in the light, once you’re going, you’re going and once you’re stopped, you’re stopped - there is nothing in between there is no little ooch and off you go,” Ayton comments. “Everything you do has to be done exactly and there is no margin for error. Every manoeuvre has to be spot on. It is going to be a tough regatta and it is going to be very important that as a team we are all functioning together.”

In addition to preparing mentally and trying to reduce mistakes the team are doing a great deal of technical development work specifically in preparation for racing in what certain to be a very light wind venue. Given the amount of racing taking place lately Ayton also adds that much of this they are still unsure about and will be testing nearer the Olympics themselves when they get to spend more time out in China training. “We have got a new Petticrow boat that seems to be fast and is good in the light breeze. We are working quite hard on our downwind speed as that will be very important in China. We have also been working hard on our spinnaker design with Chris Owen Sails, so a number of things are underway”. Pressed further on developments the team may have made to help them to such dominance, Ayton simply replies; “Sailing is a technical sport. Sometimes you are fast and you do not understand why. You really do not need to understand why though as long as you can repeat it. That is about it, I can’t give away all my secrets.”



Despite there still being testing to do out in China, when the team start training out there, the focus for the time being is still very much on racing the boat on the European Olympic Classes circuit. “At the moment it is all about racing and we have another three regattas to go,” Ayton states. “It is important that we are able to test stuff, but also we want to come away from those regattas confident and lead the way as we go to China. When we get there it will be all about optimising for that venue and tweaking kit for the conditions we are likely to get in Qingdao. It is a really nice time at the moment to have all the major events out of the way and now be able to work on all those little things that we have up our sleeve to bring out in China.”

Ayton, Webb and Wilson have put on a stunning display so far this Olympic cycle. There are few in any Olympic class able to match their record and they must head to the Olympics as firm favourites for Gold. However, as Ayton says the Olympics are special and nothing that has gone before will mean anything to the team if they do not return from Qingdao with a medal round their necks. In most circumstances it would seem almost impossible that the British Yngling team would return from China medal-less. At this Games though, due to the conditions, that result is always a distinct possibility.