Sir Charles Benedict Ainslie (born 5 February 1977) is a British competitive sailor. Ainslie is the most successful sailor in Olympic history. He won medals at five consecutive Olympics from 1996 onwards, including gold at the four consecutive Games (Sydney, Athens, Beijing & London) held between 2000 and 2012. He is one of three athletes to win medals in five different Olympic Games in sailing, being the third person to win five Olympic medals in that sport (after

Torben Grael Torben is a Danish variant of the given name Torbjörn. People named Torben include: *Torben Betts (born 1968), English playwright and screenwriter * Torben Boye (born 1966), Danish former footballer * Torben Frank (born 1968), Danish former foot ...

and

Robert Scheidt Robert Scheidt (born April 15, 1973) is a Brazilian sailor who has won two gold medals, two silver medals and a bronze from five Olympic Games and a Star Sailors League Final. He is one of the most successful sailors at Olympic Games and one of t ...

) and also the second to win four gold medals, after Paul Elvstrøm. Ben is Team Principal, CEO and Skipper of INEOS Britannia and CEO and Driver of the Great Britain SailGP Team.

Early life

Ainslie was born in

Macclesfield Macclesfield is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Bollin in the east of the county, on the edge of the Cheshire Plain, with Macclesfield Forest to its eas ...

, England to Roddy and Sue Ainslie. Roddy captained a boat that took part in the first Whitbread Round The World Race in 1973. Ben's elder sister, Fleur, is married to Jerome Pels, former secretary general of the

International Sailing Federation International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

(ISAF). Ainslie was educated at two

independent school An independent school is independent in its finances and governance. Also known as private schools, non-governmental, privately funded, or non-state schools, they are not administered by local, state or national governments. In British En ...

s: at the Terra Nova School in a rural area near the village of Holmes Chapel in

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county tow ...

in north west England, and Truro School in the city of Truro, Cornwall, followed by Peter Symonds Sixth Form,

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...

Career

Ainslie learned to sail at Restronguet Creek near

Falmouth, Cornwall Falmouth ( ; kw, Aberfala) is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,797 (2011 census). Etymology The name Falmouth is of English ...

. He started sailing at the age of eight and first competed at the age of ten. His first international competition was aged twelve at the 1989

Optimist Optimism is an attitude reflecting a belief or hope that the outcome of some specific endeavor, or outcomes in general, will be positive, favorable, and desirable. A common idiom used to illustrate optimism versus pessimism is a glass filled ...

world championships held in Japan where he placed 73rd.

Olympics

Ainslie won silver at the 1996 Olympic Games and gold in the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 ( Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from ...

in the

Laser A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word "laser" is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". The ...

class. He gained some and moved to the larger Finn class for the

2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...

, where he won gold, a feat he repeated in the

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

and

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

competitions
Both his gold medal winning Laser and Finn dinghies are currently displayed at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall
On 19 May 2012, Ainslie became the first person to carry the Olympic torch in the UK. Starting the 70-day tour of the United Kingdom at Land's End, he was the first of 8,000 torch carriers. He was selected on 11 August 2012 to carry the flag for the Great Britain team at the London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony.

World Championship

World Championships titles

* 1st 1993 Laser Radial World Championships * 1st 1995 IYRU Youth Sailing World Championships in

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilto ...

, Bermuda. * 1st 1998 Laser World Championships * 1st 1999 Laser World Championships * 1st 2002 Finn World Championships * 1st 2003

ISAF Sailing World Championships The Sailing World Championships (formerly ISAF Sailing World Championships) are World championships in sailing for the 10 events contested at the Summer Olympics, organized by World Sailing (formerly ISAF) and held every four years since 2003. In ...

which effectively is the Finn World Championships * 1st 2004 Finn World Championships * 1st 2005 Finn World Championships * 1st 2008 Finn World Championships * 1st 2010

ISAF Open Match Racing World Championship An ISAF Open Match Racing World Champion has been named annually since 1988. Since 2006 the World Match Racing Tour Champion has been named ISAF Match Racing World Champion. Editions For 2006 onwards, see World Match Racing Tour#World Champio ...

* 1st 2012 Finn World Championships

Other World Championships results

* 73rd 1989

World Championships held in Japan * 109th 1991

World Championships held in Greece * 37th 1992

World Championships held in Argentina * 2nd 1994 IYRU Youth Sailing World Championships in

Marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

* 43rd 1994

World Championship * 21st 1995

World Championship * 3rd 1996

World Championship * 3rd 1997

World Championship * 3rd 2000

World Championship * 3rd 2009 Etchells World Championships * 11th 2011

which effectively is the Finn World Championship At the

2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships The 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships was held in Perth, Western Australia, this was the third edition of the ISAF Sailing World Championships. It is the world championships for all disciplines used at the upcoming Olympics. As it used to a ...

he was in a winning position going into the closing stages of the regatta but was disqualified under rule 69 (gross misconduct) for physically threatening a photographer. Ainslie felt the photographer's boat's wake had prevented him from passing a competitor.

Other significant results

* 1st 1993 Laser Radial European Championship,

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...

* 1st 2006 Rolex Maxi Yacht Cup - Maxi - Alfa Romeo * 1st 2008 Rolex Maxi Yacht Cup - Mini Maxi - Alfa Romeo 3 * 1st 2009 Transpac Race and monohull record time (5 days 14 hours) Alfa Romeo * 4th 2010

Team Origin Team Origin was Great Britain's bid to compete in the 33rd and 34th America's Cups. It was launched in January 2007 but stopped running the racing team in 2010. The syndicate was founded by Sir Keith Mills, also known for being the deputy chairm ...

–

TP52 The Transpac 52 (TP52) is a class of yacht used for competitive 52 Super Series yacht racing, and the Audi MedCup previously, besides the world championship of the class. The class is recognised by the International Sailing Federation which enti ...

Audi Medcup * 2013 The Round the Island Race record and line Honors JPMorgan * 1st 2015/2016 Americas Cup World Series Land Rover BAR

America's Cup

Sir Charles Benedict Ainslie with fans in 2014

* One World Challenge – Seattle Yacht Club * Team New Zealand –

Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron is a New Zealand yacht club, and the club behind New Zealand's America's Cup campaigns, under the guises of New Zealand Challenge and Team New Zealand. It held the America's Cup from 1995 until 2003, becomin ...

At the beginning of 2005 Ainslie worked in the role of

tactician A tactic is a conceptual action or short series of actions with the aim of achieving a short-term goal. This action can be implemented as one or more specific tasks. The term is commonly used in business, protest and military contexts, as well as ...

in the New Zealand-based Team New Zealand who were preparing to compete in the challenger selection process to win the right to Challenge for the 32nd

America's Cup The America's Cup, informally known as the Auld Mug, is a trophy awarded in the sport of sailing. It is the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one ...

. In May 2005 Ainslie took the decision to relinquish the role of tactician and focus on improving his

match racing A match race is a race between two competitors, going head-to-head. In sailboat racing it is differentiated from a fleet race, which almost always involves three or more competitors competing against each other, and team racing where teams consi ...

skills as helmsman of the 'B' boat used to practice and tune the race boat helmed by Dean Barker. *

– Royal Thames Yacht Club Ainslie figure headed a British challenge for the Cup alongside Sir Keith Mills the team was named

. However this challenge withdrew without competing following a period of discussion regarding the future format of the event. *

Oracle Team USA Oracle Team USA is an American yacht racing syndicate initially formed to compete for the 2003 America's Cup. They competed again in the 2007 event before winning the 33rd America's Cup regatta in 2010 – representing the Golden Gate Yacht Clu ...

– Golden Gate Yacht Club For the 2013 America's Cup, Ainslie was recruited as a tactician by Oracle Team USA, as a replacement for John Kostecki during an Oracle practice session on 11 September 2013. On 12 September, the following day, he replaced Kostecki going into race six of the 2013 America's Cup. His Oracle Team USA beat Team New Zealand in the America's Cup decider in San Francisco on 25 September. *

Ben Ainslie Racing INEOS Britannia is a British sailing team that is the challenger of record for the 37th America's Cup. The team was established in 2012 with the ambition of winning the America's Cup for Great Britain and to 'bring the cup home' to the Uni ...

– Royal Yacht Squadron Racing Ltd In January 2012, Ben Ainslie announced the formation of an eponymous team to compete in the America's Cup: Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR). His team competed in the AC45 class of the 2011–13 America's Cup World Series, 2014 Extreme Sailing Series and set a multihull record for the

Round the Island Race The Round the Island Race is an annual yacht race around the Isle of Wight. It starts and finishes in Cowes, and is organised by the Island Sailing Club. The course is about long. It was first held in 1931, it was sponsored by JP Morgan Ass ...

. The team won the

2015–16 America's Cup World Series The second America's Cup World Series were held between 2015 and 2016 in the lead up to the 2017 America's Cup. The series was won by Land Rover BAR and confers two points towards the 2017 Louis Vuitton Cup. The runner up was Oracle Team USA whic ...

but were eliminated in the semi-finals of the 2017 Louis Vuitton Challenger's Trophy competition to determine the challenger for the 2017 America's Cup. *

INEOS TEAM UK INEOS Britannia is a British sailing team that is the challenger of record for the 37th America's Cup. The team was established in 2012 with the ambition of winning the America's Cup for Great Britain and to 'bring the cup home' to the Uni ...

- Royal Yacht Squadron Racing Ltd In April 2018 Ainslie announced the Americas Cup team would be renamed INEOS TEAM UK in partnership with INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Again based out of the Portsmouth HQ the team are building two new 75-foot foiling monohull yachts to compete for the 36th Americas Cup set to take place in Auckland, New Zealand in 2021. On October 21, 2020, Ben and

launched their race boat for the 36th

from their HQ in Auckland, naming the AC75 race boat 'Britannia' Following a disappointing performance in the Auckland ACWS event in December 2020, the team spent the following three weeks making modifications to their boat Britannia ahead of the start of the Prada Cup qualifying series. This included a new mast and sails as well as modifications to the hull and foils. The team received support from INEOS sponsored Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team. INEOS Team UK dominated the Round Robin phase of the Prada Cup which saw them race and beat each of the two other challenger teams three times, securing their place in the Prada Cup Final beginning on the 13th of February 2021. The team's place in the Prada Cup final marked a significant point in their campaign, being the furthest any British challenge had progressed in the competition since the introduction of a challenger selection series. After Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli's win in the Prada Cup Semi-Finals against American Magic, the American team was eliminated from the event, securing the Italian team's place in the Prada Cup Final alongside INEOS Team UK. The Prada Cup Finals were held in predominantly light wind (8-14 knots), with Luna Rossa showing great improvement in boat handling, winning the first 5 races consecutively. INEOS Team UK showed superior downwind pace in Race 6, taking their sole race win before Luna Rossa dominated Day 4 to take their sixth and seventh race win, winning the Prada Cup overall, and securing their place in the 36th America's Cup Match against Emirates Team New Zealand.

World Match Racing Tour

In December 2010, Ainslie finished in first place in the World Match Racing Tour, and is the 2010 ISAF Match Racing Champion.

The Extreme Sailing Series

In January 2014, it was announced that Ainslie would compete in the 2014 Extreme Sailing Series as part of his preparation for the America's Cup. The eight-race event will see him compete in a multi-hull boat.

Personal life

Ainslie lives in Seaview on the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Is ...

and belongs to the Sea View Yacht Club and is an honorary member of the Royal Yacht Squadron. He was coached by David (Sid) Howlett, who raced a Finn dinghy at the

1976 Summer Olympics Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 ...

. He supports Chelsea. In August 2014, Ainslie was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...

'' expressing their hope that Scotland would vote to remain part of the United Kingdom in September's referendum on that issue. On 20 December 2014, Ainslie married former Sky Sports News presenter Georgie Thompson. The couple have a daughter, Bellatrix, born in 2016.

Awards and honours

* 1995 British Yachtsman of the Year, and in 1999, 2000 and 2002. * 1998

World Sailor of the Year, and also in 2002, 2008 and 2012. Ainslie was also nominated in 2004 and 2011. *

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a multi-national coalition in an invasion of Afghanist ...

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(MBE) * 2002 Honorary degree, University of Chichester *

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; " Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discover ...

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(OBE) * 2005 Honorary Doctor of Laws,

University of Exeter , mottoeng = "We Follow the Light" , established = 1838 - St Luke's College1855 - Exeter School of Art1863 - Exeter School of Science 1955 - University of Exeter (received royal charter) , type = Public , ...

* 2007 Honorary Doctor of Sport, Southampton Solent University * 2008 Nominated for BBC Sports Personality of the Year and also in 2012 and 2013. *

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; Protests ...

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(CBE) *

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are ...

for services to sailing.

References

External links

* * * *
Ben Ainslie Booking Agency Profile

Ainslie Olympic profile
*
National Maritime Museum Cornwall website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ainslie, Ben 1977 births Living people Commanders of the Order of the British Empire English male sailors (sport) English Olympic medallists Etchells class sailors Extreme Sailing Series sailors Knights Bachelor Laser Radial class sailors Laser class world champions Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medallists for Great Britain Olympic medalists in sailing Olympic sailors of Great Britain Olympic silver medallists for Great Britain People from Lymington Sportspeople from Macclesfield People educated at Peter Symonds College People educated at Truro School Sailors at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Laser Sailors at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Laser Sailors at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Finn Sailors at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Finn Sailors at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Finn People in sports awarded knighthoods Team New Zealand sailors Oracle Racing sailors 2017 America's Cup sailors 2013 America's Cup sailors 2007 America's Cup sailors 2003 America's Cup sailors Finn class world champions World champions in sailing for Great Britain 2021 America's Cup sailors ISAF World Sailor of the Year (male)