Ben Ainslie by Ben Ainslie
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.
'Take it from a neutral observer: the most accomplished competitor at work in British sport today is Ben AinslieChris Hoy, Lewis Hamilton and Rebecca Adlington deserve praise but the real fanfare should be reserved for Ainslie ... [He has] a combination of dedication, stamina, tactical nous and, the clincher here, a sustained level of ruthlessness rarely witnessed before in British sport.' Henry Winter, Daily Telegraph Sailing's superman The Times
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.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780224082921 |
| ISBN 10 | 0224082922 |
| Title | Ben Ainslie |
| Author | Ben Ainslie |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Vintage Publishing |
| Year published | 2009-09-03 |
| Number of pages | 256 |
| Prizes | Short-listed for British Sports Book Awards: Autobiography 2010 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |