Ainslie weighs up Olympic options

Part 2 of the Ainslie interview reveals his tip for America's Cup glory and his designs on Athens gold

This still leaves Ainslie with a lot of work in the gym to hit the target weight for a Finn, but Iain Percy had a similar mountain to climb four years ago, working up from a natural 85 kilos to his eventual 97 kilos at Sydney. Ainslie comments: "You can be competitive in the low 90s up to 95 kilos, but ideally in the end you'd want to be 97 kilos. That's what Iain Percy was and he's the goal really that you've got to set yourself towards.

"If I sailed a Finn, it would be a lot of technical work plus a lot of work on the fitness side, but I think a lot of the work with the Finn could be more home-based than with the Laser. There are fewer events and there is more work to do on the technical side. Plus which the Games being in Athens means the Australasian circuit is not so important as it was, so we’re not talking about a year-round season any more."

If Ainslie still sounds hesitant about what his next move is, his father Roddy and RYA racing manager John Derbyshire sound more certain.

Derbyshire told madfor sailing: "I think Ben has quite enjoyed his time with One World, but they have reached that stage of the their development programme where they are making decisions about roles and positions.

"Ben felt if he was going to do an Olympic campaign, he couldn’t afford to start much later. In his view starting earlier was the right thing to do. This is something we have talked about a fair bit over the last three to four weeks. Personally I'm delighted for our Olympic programme, because gold and silver medallists are hard to come by."

Derbyshire said the final choice would be totally down to Ainslie as to which class he opts for. "I don't push Ben anywhere now - he doesn't make these decisions lightly. I know Ben is ambitious to sail the Star, but that is a serious technical challenge plus there are the crew considerations. He's been looking at what's been going on, and it has not been easy for Iain Percy or Ian Barker to find the right crews.

"Ben has proved over the last 12 months, not just on One World, that he is more than just a singlehanded sailor. He can work with a team, but time is getting very short. The Cadiz Worlds, towards the end of 2003, is likely to be a watershed in terms of funding. So the Finn is probably the most realistic boat for him."

As Derbyshire pointed out, the Finn is no more a soft option than the Star, as far as home competition is concerned. "We have a very strong Finn squad. We have had three top 10 results in the Worlds and Europeans this year, from Andrew Simpson, Chris Brittle and Charlie Cumbley."

The existing squad are likely to greet Ainslie's arrival with mixed feelings, knowing that he will bring a great deal of experience to the group but that he will also pose a huge threat to their own hopes of qualifying for Great Britain. "It's going to be a challenge, I think is the right word," commented Derbyshire. "Their immediate reaction is: 'Crikey, that is going to up the ante.’ On the other hand, Ben will be feeling: ‘Am I going to be good enough to sail the Finn?’

"If I was a competitor in the programme I might not look at it in the same way. Competition is healthy, we're successful because we're the best in the world not because we're the best in Britain."

While the salaries at One World have been reported to be well past the six-figure mark, Ainslie anticipates that he will need a sponsor. His Laser campaign for Sydney is believed to have cost around a quarter of a million pounds, and that in a boat where there is virtually no technical development.

But he should be well looked after as the homecoming hero. Derbyshire said his funding would have to be agreed with the Sports Council. "The Olympic Steering Group and Olympic Sports Council will discuss those options. There is a precedent for helping a medallist to return to reasonable funding, but it is still likely he will need a sponsor. He will need two boats, three to four masts and he will be regularly replacing sails."

There is no doubt it will be a challenge, even for someone of Ainslie’s calibre. But he can’t wait to get back into fleet racing and he can’t wait to come back home. "It’s been great living down here in New Zealand. Generally it’s good weather, great sailing, but there’s nowhere quite like home is there?"