Ainslie targets top ten finish in Olympic sailing comeback

Posted: Monday 19th July 2010 | 10:55

THREE-time Olympic champion Ben Ainslie has confirmed he will compete in next month's Skandia Sail for Gold regatta.

FLYING THE FLAG: Ben Ainsle is realistic of his chances of success at next month's Skandia Sail for Gold regatta (onEdition)

Ainslie - who has focussed on campaigning British Americas' Cup challenger Team Origin - returned to Olympic class sailing for the first time in two years last week - spending time training in Lymington.

However, he admits he doesn't expect to challenge at the final ISAF World Cup regatta of the season in Weymouth, the London 2012 sailing venue.

"It was hard work and the body suffered a bit, however it has enabled me to get enough training in to be able to confirm I'll be competing at the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta," he wrote in his blog.

"I've not raced a Finn since Beijing 2008 so it's will be almost two years to the day, but doing this year's Sail for Gold was on the cards as long as it fitted in with the rest of our Team Origin schedule.

"I have to accept I'm not going to be 100 percent race ready, 100 percent Finn fit and at my ideal racing weight, and I'm sure it will be frustrating for me at times not being able to do things I'd normally take for granted.

"But the benefits of competing far outweigh any frustrations I may experience as long as I'm realistic, and possibly more importantly, other people are realistic about what I can achieve on such limited preparation.

"I think Sail for Gold is a really important regatta for me to attend to not only check in with where the rest of the Finn fleet are, and what developments have taken place since I've been away.

"But also to familiarise myself with the venue and conditions as I've actually not raced an Olympic Class boat at Weymouth and Portland for about five or six years.

"Any result inside the top ten would be a good result."

* For more from Ben Ainslie, visit benainslie.com