Book description
Knife-edge decisions, adrenaline rushes, extreme weather, bitter
rivalries, heart-stopping races - they are all in a day's work for
'sailing's superman' Ben Ainslie. Ben has won successive golds in the
last three Olympics, making him a British hero and our greatest
Olympic sailor ever. In 2012 he plans for a fourth.
In Close to the Wind Ben reveals the truth behind his awesome
achievement. A charming spokesperson off the water, he reveals just
how ruthless he is on it. He admits to fierce rivalries, above all
with Brazilian Robert Scheidt, who robbed a nineteen-year-old Ben of
gold in his first Olympics.
Ben's twenty-year sailing career, which began on a dinghy in a
remote Cornish bay, has a scope unmatched by other sports. In Olympic
races he is alone, in his tiny boat, channelling aggression and
plotting tactics.
From his proudest moment representing Team GB, to one tough decision
that almost risked destroying his career, this is a unique insight
into the man who cannot be second best. It shows what really takes
place in the white heat of competition and lifts the lid on this
toughest of sports.
Ben Ainslie, CBE, was born in 1977 in Macclesfield. He started
sailing at age four and first competed at the age of ten. He has won
three Olympic gold medals and was awarded Yachtsman of the Year in 1995,
1999, 2000 and 2002.
