Two Sarahs to go again

Yngling Gold meadallists announced new crew woman and new campaign for Beijing

Olympic gold medallists Sarah Ayton MBE (24) and Sarah Webb MBE (27) announced today, at the Schroders London Boat Show, their new line up and plan for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Competing in the Yngling class in Athens, they were the first Team GB members to secure gold for Great Britain and won themselves the nickname 'three blondes in a boat'. Sailing with Shirley Robertson, the Sarah's won gold in an impressive manor, with a race to spare, to be crowned Olympic champions at their first attempt at gold.

With Shirley Robertson announcing plans to take a year off, the two Sarah's are keen to get out on the water in 2005 and have their sites firmly set on the Yngling World Championships in Austria this July.

Sarah Ayton will move from the front of the boat to the back and take on the role as helmswomen and Sarah Webb will move into the role of the bow person. This will leave a gap in the middle of the boat which will be replaced by former Cambridge rowing blue Annie Lush (24).

Sarah Webb commented, "We have enjoyed some time off after winning gold in Athens, but we are both really keen to get back in a boat again with a view to repeating our success in Beijing. For us Annie was the obvious choice, she was one of our rivals in the run up to the Olympic Games and it will be great to now have her as part of the team and we feel she has many skills and qualities that she can bring to the table."

Lush said, "I am really excited about the prospects of our new team. I just missed out on selection to the Athens Games and for me that has made me even hungrier to achieve my goal of winning Olympic gold. Their achievement in Athens was inspiring and I think it will really encourage me in our campaign. The girls obviously trained hard and put in a lot of effort to win gold and they have much of the knowledge needed. Hopefully I will be able to bring fresh blood to the team and another perspective which will help us to achieve our goals."

Despite having two gold medals between them, the new team are in search of sponsorship and will focus on this in the forthcoming weeks before relocating to Palma for warm weather training. From there, they will take part in a number of build up regattas before the main event, the Yngling World Championships, in July.

Sarah Ayton - helm
DOB: 9th April 1980
Currently living: Weymouth, Dorset
Sailing career to date:
2004 Yngling Class, Olympic Games, Athens, Gold Medal
2004 Yngling Class, SPA, Eurolymp, Holland, Bronze Medal
2004 Yngling Class, Hyeres, Eurolymp, France, Gold Medal
2003 Yngling Class, ISAF World Sailing Championships, 7th
2003 Yngling Class, Palma, Eurolymp, Spain, 4th
2003 Yngling Class, Pre-Olympics, Athens, Gold Medal
2003 Yngling Class, SPA Eurolymp Holland, Bronze Medal
2002 Olympic Test Event, Athens, Bronze Medal
2002 Yngling World Championships, 16th
2001 Yngling World Championships, 14th
2000 Training partner to Shirley Robertson in Europe class at the Olympic Games, Sydney
1998 Laser Radial Class, ISAF Youth World Championships South Africa, 2nd

Annie Lush – crew (middle)
DOB: 11 April 1980
Currently Living: Southampton, Hampshire
Sailing career to date:
2004 Training partner to Gold Medal winning Yngling Team, Athens
2004 Yngling Class, Europeans, Holland, 8th
2004 J22, ISAF Women's Match Racing World Championships, Annapolis, 1st
2004 Class 0, The Round Island Race, 1st (and 2nd overall)
2004 Class 0, Rolex Middle Sea Race, 1st (and 2nd overall)
2003 J22, International Women's Keelboat Championships, Rolex Cup, Annapolis, 1st 2003 IOD Class, Women's Match Racing Championships, Bermuda, 4th

Sarah Webb – crew (bow)
DOB: 13 January 1977
Currently Living: Weybridge, Surrey
Sailing career to date:
2004 Yngling Class, Olympic Games, Athens, Gold Medal
2004 Yngling Class, SPA, Eurolymp, Holland, Bronze Medal
2004 Yngling Class, Hyeres, Eurolymp, France, Gold Medal
2003 Yngling Class, ISAF World Sailing Championships, 7th
2003 Yngling Class, Palma, Eurolymp, Spain, 4th
2003 Yngling Class, Pre-Olympics, Athens, Gold Medal
2003 Yngling Class, SPA Eurolymp Holland, Bronze Medal
2002 J22 Class, ISAF Women's World Sailing Championships France, 5th
2002 J22 Class, ISAF Women's World Match Racing Championships Spain, 4th
2002 IOD Class, Women's Match Racing Bermuda Gold Cup, 7th
2001 J24 Class, ISAF Women's Europeans Match Racing Championships Portugal, 6th
2000 470 Class, British Olympic Trails Weymouth, 2nd
1996 BT JYA British Yachtsman of the Year Award Winner
1996 Laser Radial Class, ISAF Youth World Championships Bermuda, 6th

The girls also have a campaign website: http://www.ynglinggirls.com