Sarah Ayton

Sport

Sailing

Associations with Surrey

• Born in Ashford
• Member of the Queen Mary Sailing Club

Biography

Sarah was born in Ashford, Middlesex and started sailing at the age of seven at Queen Mary Sailing Club. Her natural talent was clear and aged 10 she made her European debut in the Taser Class. Sarah met Olympic sailor, Paul Brotherton at a sailing event and he directed her to RYA’s Youth Squad which was the beginning of her international sailing career.

After hard work and perseverance Sarah was selected as a training partner to Shirley Robertson for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Sarah then joined Shirley’s team with the addition of Sarah Webb to compete in the Yngling Class achieving Great Britain’s first gold medal of the Athens games.
Sarah initiated a further campaign with Sarah Webb & Pippa Wilson and immediately became the most formidable Yngling Team worldwide.

Sarah was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours. She is now starting her 2012 sailing campaign in the new Women’s Match Racing discipline which has replaced the Yngling. Sarah is aiming to become the first British woman to win Gold at three consecutive Olympic Games.

Key achievements

Olympic achievements

• 2008: Olympic Games, Beijing
  Gold - Yngling

• 2004: Olympic Games, Athens
  Gold - Yngling

Further achievements

• 2007: Olympic test event
  Gold

• 2007: ISAF World Championships
  Gold

• Holland Regatta
  2007: Gold
  2006: Silver

• Rolex Miami OCR
  2007: Silver
  2006: 4th

• 2006: Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta
  Bronze

• 2006: Qingdao International Regatta, Test Event
  4th

• 2006: Yngling World Championships
  4th

• Olympic Class Week
  2006: Silver
  2003: Gold
  2003: 4th

• HRH Princess Sofia Trophy
  2006: Silver
  2003: Gold

• 2005: Spa Regatta
  Gold

• Hyeres
  2005: Silver
  2004: Gold

• 2003: Olympic test event
  Gold

• 2002: Olympic test event
  Bronze

• 1998: ISAF Volvo Youth Sailing World Championships
  Silver