By Andrew Fraser
BBC Sport in Athens
Ben Ainslie has stripped off for a calendar to help raise funds to train Britain's
Olympic sailing stars of the future.
The Royal Yachting Association's racy yet tasteful 2005 publication, which also features
Ainslie's fellow gold medallist Shirley Robertson, will be released next month.
And if the British team keeps winning medals at this rate, the RYA may have to think
about increasing its print run.
Ainslie completed his stunning comeback on the waters of the Saronic gulf by clinching
victory in the Finn class on a day when GB sailors were presented with two golds and one
Robertson, Sarah Ayton and Sarah Webb did not even turn up for their final Yngling race
after finishing top of the class with one race to spare.
Instead they chilled out at a health spa to make sure they looked their best for the
And although Joe Glanfield and Nick Rogers could not complete a golden treble, their
470 silver was the icing on the cake as Britain's sailors made it three medals from three
With a host of other chances still to come, they are well on course to beat their haul of
three golds and two silvers from Sydney in 2000.
"We are a very good team. We support each other very well all the way through, from
the sailors to the back-up staff," said Ainslie.
"We are well funded by the government and personal sponsors. Nothing is left to
chance, and everything is run smoothly.
"It is just up to the sailors to go out and get results, and I'm glad it is starting to come
together for us."
Ainslie admitted watching rower Matthew Pinsent's dramatic victory as part of the men's four helped gee him up before his final race.
But while Pinsent and his colleagues were saluted by hordes of cheering British fans,
Ainslie had just a few of his team-mates and assorted members of the world's media to
welcome him ashore.
With the action taking place well out to sea, sailing is not a good spectator sport for
When it comes to boosting Britain's medal tally, however, Ainslie always seems to
His two golds and a silver make him Britain's joint most successful
Olympic sailor, alongside Rodney Pattison.
And the 27-year-old from Lymington in Hampshire admitted his comeback after
suffering a controversial disqualification on the opening day ranked among his finest
Since moving to the Finn class after winning Laser gold in Sydney, a switch which
required him to put on 15kg in weight, Ainslie has won three successive world
The most recent of those came in February, even though he was suffering from
He will head to Auckland in December for a new challenge as he links up with Team New
Zealand for their America's Cup campaign.
"The long-term dream is to be involved with a British challenge for the America's Cup
that is going to be successful," said Ainslie.
"That would be a dream for all British sailors and hopefully it will be a reality one day.
"I'd love to be at the Olympics in Beijing if it's possible.
"I would probably have to compete in the Finn class because I'm too fat for the Laser
and it would take too long to get used to anything else."